Unchained
by kolchaksghost
Summary: For CombatWars contest. Dumbles names Neville the BWL. The Potter twins return almost ten years later. Will Hogwarts survive the old man's manipulations until the time comes for the Potter's to be unchained. AU HP/FD/DG  TD/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Unchained**

_**Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, I'm just playing around with the world.**_

**AN: This is for CombatWars' challenge. I needed to write something while trying to find the flash drive that has my other stories on it.**

_Prologue: Godric's Hollow; Oct. 31, 1981_

_The small hamlet of Godric's Hollow was a blended community where the worst crimes committed were shoplifting and petty vandalism (toilet papering houses, graffiti, etc.). By blended, of course, was meant that the village was an equal mix of muggles (mundane) and magical folk (witches, wizards and the like). Tonight, however, the town was going to be indelibly imprinted in the minds of magical beings around the world for as the scene of both tragedy and hope; as well as the birthplace of two of the greatest mysteries of the magical world._

_Costumed children wandered from house to house in search of candy as the four black cloaked figures strode purposefully along the cozy residential street. Had they not been wrapped in spells that prevented them from being noticed, people might have mistaken them for Nazgul – the Ring Wraiths of Tolkien's epic fantasy. In a way, they'd be correct because the muggleborn wizard turned author used his novels to warn people about a looming threat. Whether the warning had to do with Grindlewald, Lord Voldemort or somebody else entirely has been a subject of debate among the intellectually inclined magical circles for years._

_The leader of the group, Lord Voldemort, was the most feared dark wizard in the last century (in his own mind anyway). He motioned for one of his minions to lead the way to their final destination. The group stopped in front of a house that none of the other residents remembered even existed. It had been placed under a powerful spell called a Fidelius Charm which removed the memory of it from everyone but the person entrusted with the secret. Unfortunately, the person that had been entrusted as the Secret Keeper had been a spy that happily entrusted it to his master._

_Several wards protected the property in addition to the Fidelius but Voldemort's other minions quickly tore through them in an attempt to curry their Dark Lord's favor. The aforementioned Dark Lord raised his wand then blew the front door off its hinges. Despite the fear inspiring visage of Voldemort or the sheer power he'd put behind his spell, his intended victims were unimpressed. In fact, they went so far as to fight back._

_The magical couple that lived here had defied the Dark Lord before so it was little wonder that they would do so again. James Potter had temporarily put aside his title of Lord and head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter in order to become a Hit Wizard – a soldier on the front line of the current war that raged in Magical Britain. His wife, the muggleborn Lily Potter nee Evans, worked as spellcrafter and was one of the top researchers of ancient magic for the Unspeakables. She created many of the spells that were starting to decimate Voldemort's forces but it was her research that made her a real threat._

_The traitor and another minion were stunned by James the second after the door blew but the Dark Lord cared little about that as that house held an even greater threat to him then the mudblood bitch. Voldemort batted away the hit wizard's next attack and let loose a rapid string of curses that were unavoidable. As James Potter fell, the Dark Lord and his remaining conscious follower – Severus Snape – marched up to the second floor. Only one door was closed but it was heavily warded. It had taken ten minutes to shred the wards but victory would soon be theirs._

_Snape watched as his master order the woman he'd lusted after since they were both nine to step aside. He cared less if she did so willingly or he defiled her corpse, either way her body was going to be his before the night was over. So lost in his internal musings, he missed Lily's response or the string of spells that struck her. What brought him back to reality was a magical backlash that blasted out the roof and threw him into the opposite wall. He picked himself up then rushed into the shell of a room but wasn't able to catalog the full extent of the damage other than that his master was nowhere to be seen because a screams could be heard coming from the neighbors' houses. He quickly apparated away in order to come up with a believable alibi for he knew Aurors or worse were going to be arriving within the next few seconds._

_Meanwhile at Hogwarts…_

_Albus Dumbledore, the Leader of the Light, had been sitting at his desk in the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts going over latest casualty reports for the current crisis when the alarms monitoring both the Potter's and the Longbottom's went off. Both young families had gone into hiding at his request after he revealed the Prophecy to them. That the alarms were sounding meant that not only were his suspicions of a traitor in his midst were true, but both families were under attack. He rushed to his floo and called Alastor Moody to send a team to aid the Longbottom's then another to meet him at Godric's Hollow._

_Dumbledore arrived at the site that had once been a happy home and found a disaster scene. Muggle firefighters had just finished putting out a fire and where combing the wreckage for bodies while police constables interviewed potential witnesses. The sound of babies crying from a nearby ambulance gave him hope that there were at least some survivors of the tragedy. He disillusioned himself then made his way inside after the last of the fireman wandered out disheartened. Magic saturated the ruin with the residue of dark curses and Old Magic so it was impossible to distinguish what spells were actually used or the magical signatures of the casters. The only thing he was able to find was a bit of ash, a burnt piece of black cloak and a wand that belonged to the Dark Lord; which he pocketed while he made his way back outside._

_Moody had arrived with a team of Aurors and Augusta Longbottom by the time he exited. They had transfigured their robes to muggle attire and were engaged in discussions with the constables. Albus transfigured his gaudy purple robes into a purple velvet smoking jacket with matching silk pajamas and his dragonhide boots into comfy slippers before he cancelled his disillusionment on the far side of the ambulance. If he'd have gotten rid of the flowing beard and added a pipe then he could've passed for a gay Hugh Hefner._

_He raised his wand then cast a whispered memory charm and a Confundus Charm on the paramedic. The EMT wandered off and the ancient wizard wasted no time examining the wailing toddlers inside. It came as a total surprise when he realized that not only had the Potter twins survived but the Longbottom boy had as well. Unfortunately, the same magical saturation that covered the house also covered the children; so, again, it was impossible to tell what happened. It wasn't until he looked at the wounds on young Harry and Neville that the facts clicked into place._

_Where Harry had a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead, Neville had a serpentine like scar on the palm of his right hand. Obviously, Voldemort had cast a killing curse at the Longbottom boy which the child managed to reflect with his palm. The backlash destroyed the Dark Lord's physical body and caused the resultant destruction of the house. Some debris must have struck Potter and some of the dark magic left over from the curse absorbed into it. Young Neville was the child of the Prophecy which meant Voldemort would eventually return. Plans started to form themselves in the aged leaders mind._

_First, Neville must be hidden away from the magical world, especially possible reprisals from the remaining Death Eaters. His upbringing must make him humble so I can eventually mold him into the perfect weapon to destroy the Dark Lord and become a worthy successor for myself. Next, I'll have to do something about the Potter twins – Albus mused but was interrupted by the Dowager Lady Longbottom snatching her grandson from the back of the ambulance._

"_Whatever plot your fevered brain is hatching had better stop now, Albus," Augusta demanded just before she apparated away with the child._

"_That's one battleaxe you'll not want to piss off, old friend; she didn't earn the name the Lioness of Britain during the war with Grindlewald for nothing. Augusta lost her husband and all but one of her brothers back then and now her son and daughter-in-law tonight. The damned Death Eaters kept those two under the Crusiatus Curse for god knows how long before we showed up. The mediwitch with the team believes that even after their bodies heal, the mental damage will be irreparable… but at least we got the bastards," Moody commented a few seconds later._

_Dumbledore blew out a breath as he processed what his friend told him. On the one hand, it made his initial plan for the boy easier because his grandmother – in her fear of anything happening to him – is more apt to isolate the child and any sense of self-confidence ground down by her domineering personality. On the other hand, she would block any attempt he made to see Neville until the youth went to Hogwarts. There was nothing he was able to do about that now so he needed to focus on the problem of the twins._

"_Who were the Death Eaters," the Headmaster asked while the better part of his mind flashed through possible plans._

"_It was the Lestrange's – Bellatirx, Rudolphus, Rebastian – and Crouch's boy. Apparently, they sent a face message saying Augusta was taken to St. Mungo's, that's why their son ended up here," Alastor replied gruffly._

_Inspiration struck but the plan that formed was distasteful, morally repugnant in every way but it was for the Greater Good. The Chosen One was going to need trusted lieutenants help him when the time came and the Potter twins were going to be them. But he needed to act fast and get to the Ministry in order to seal James' and Lily's will before the traitor could exploit it. Then he'd just exert some of his influence to get himself declared the children's Magical Guardian and ship them off to the Aunt to be raised. He had little doubt that the magic hating muggle and her husband would abuse them in some way._

_If Albus recalled the only time he'd met Petunia and Vernon Dursley correctly, the couple were the muggle equivalent of Pureblood Supremists. While the idea of the abuse was abhorrent, at least he took comfort that their "God Fearing" nature would prevent it from becoming sexual in nature. The harsh upbringing the children received would temper in a way that the two would see the magical world as their only true home and would do what was needed to keep it safe._

"_I'm sure there will be plenty of political fallout from tonight's attacks but that is something we can worry about later. Alastor, I need you take the twins to Poppy to get checked out while I go to the Ministry. That traitor, Black, might try something to exercise his rights as their godfather and I can't let that happened. They'd be dead before dawn," Dumbledore stated then vanished with a soft pop._

_Unfortunately, even the best laid plans often go awry. Before Moody had a chance to bolt with the toddlers, he was confronted by the muggle authorities who demanded to know what happened to the Longbottom boy. It was an hour and a half later that he was finally able to convince him that the boy had been taken by his grandmother and that she'd be more than happy to give a statement in the morning. The distraction was all that the two witches that had been watching from the background needed to grab the twins then vanish._

_At the Ministry of Magic, Albus Dumbledore faced an unexpected complication at the emergency Wizengamut meeting that had been called. When he tried to seal the Potter's will, he found that it was no longer valid. According to paperwork that was received from Gringott's, James and Lily Potter were very much alive and recovering from the attack at a secure facility out of the country. In the interim, custody of Harry James and Gemini Rose Potter was given to their godmother. Said witch was not named and the goblins refused to say who it was or give the Potter's location when asked._

_The Leader of the Light found his hastily constructed plan binned before it had a chance to be implemented. On the bright side, the traitorous Sirius Black had been captured and thrown straight into Azkaban. Fate had again forced him into a watch and wait position. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Unchained**

_Insert the standard Disclaimer here!_

Ch.1: A Letter, a Train Ride and a Hat

_Delacour Manor, French Riviera; Aug. 25__th__, 1991_

Fleur Delacour woke up to the sun streaming through her bedroom window. She snuggled back into the silk sheets on her queen sized bed in an attempt to get a few more minutes of sleep but gave up. The young French witch rolled out of bed then stumbled into the rather large walk-in closet to pick out her clothes for the day. Her mother, Apolline, had told her that they would be going to the Rue de Sorcerie – the magical shopping district in Paris – to get her school supplies this morning then she'd spend the afternoon at the beach. In less than a minute, she'd picked an outfit then made her way into the en suite for a shower.

The eldest daughter of Deputy Minister of Magic for France, Jean-Xavier Delacour, took her time in the shower and thoroughly enjoyed the steaming hot water that cascaded down her body. After the girl was satisfied that she clean, she dried herself and got dressed. A sigh escaped her lips as she gazed at her reflection while brushing her hair. The image that stared back at her often made her want to cry. Not because she was hideous by any stretch of the imagination; quite the opposite, in fact.

Fleur was the epitome of beauty. Her long silver blonde hair, sky blue eyes and fey-like features that made the fourteen-year old look eighteen marked her Veela heritage. A heritage that was often misunderstood and caused her to be very lonely; the average witch or wizard believed that the Veela were nothing more than a race of sex crazed women that were little better than whores. The truth was far different. Veela were a race of fire and air, sensuality and passionate emotions. They were born with a natural allure to draw in potential mates. It was the misuse of that allure by a few for the purpose of revenge that gave their whole race a bad name.

She finished with her hair then made her way downstairs to the dining room. Her mind drifted to the major event that occurred over the holiday. The summer had started out find, most days the young witch lounged on a towel at the beach and worked on her tan. Jean-Xavier was going to take the family with him on his business trip to Japan during the middle of July but the trip was unexpectedly cancelled. Gringott's Paris Branch notified her father that as of July 31st, a marriage contract signed by his grandfather would become active.

Naturally, that bit of new hadn't gone over well. Fleur spent weeks being furious that she had no say in the matter while her mother and grandmother worried that her intended betrothed might be unworthy of her. Her father tried to get more information out of the goblins but was told that wizard that the contract pertained to was current unavailable and they were unable to provide anything else. Jean-Xavier then poured through the family records for any clues as to how the contract came about and with whom it was with. He told the family that he might have found the answer but he wanted to check some facts first before he said anything.

Fleur wasn't too shocked to find her maternal grandmother, Angelique, at the table along with her parents and five-year-old sister, Gabrielle, enjoying the wonderful breakfast the house-elves made. What surprised her was the gorgeous Snowy Owl perched on the back of her chair and the package with an attached letter on the table where her plate should've been. The pleasant conversation the adults had been having died with her arrival.

"That owl arrived earlier this morning with some mail from you," her father commented while she slipped into her chair. The aforementioned bird left the back of her chair to perch on the empty one to her right and watched the witch intently.

The Veela girl detached the letter; there was no seal on the back of the envelope and her curiosity was piqued. She slid out two sheets of folded parchment then started to read.

_Dear Miss Delacour,_

_Please forgive me for writing this in English but I don't know French yet, but I promise to learn soon. My family and I only just arrived back in London this morning and learned of the marriage contract. I apologize to both you and your family for any undue stress that resulted from my lack of prompt response. There's probably some formal way to do this and I've more than likely bollixed it all to Hades already so let me start with the first of two peace offerings before I make complete moron of myself._

_The owl that delivered both this letter and the attached package is named Artemis. She is the sister of my own Snowy Owl, Hedwig but I get the feeling that both birds think they are the better looking sister. Anyway, Artemis is yours; I hope you like her._

Fleur gasped at the generosity of such a gift then looked over to the owl.

"You are a beauty, ma petite," she cooed then stroked the owl's feathers affectionately. The fowl puffed out her chest and hooted her agreement. The witch continued to stroke her new owl as she continued to read.

_I imagine that you are or were pretty upset when you got the news and I can't say that I blame you. It never occurred to me or my guardians that there was even the possibility of such a contract existing. Trust me when I say that my reaction was worse because I found out that I've got to honor two marriage contracts. The one that our great-grandfathers made after the war with Grindlewald and then one my father made with the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Greengrass. _(The Veela arched an eyebrow at that.) _ My cousin, Tonks, said that you'd be okay with the whole sharing thing because you were French and know all about menageries. But I still don't get what zoos have to do with anything?_ (Fleur snorted with amusement and the adults' curiosity increased.)

_I guess I should stop rambling and get to the introduction part._

_My name is Harry Potter; my twin sister, Gemini, and I turned eleven on July 31__st__. I know that's a three year age difference but later on that won't really matter. The two of us live with our guardians/cousins Andromeda and Ted Tonks and their daughter, Nymphadora (she hates her name but can't hit me using it in this letter). Our parents still aren't able to take care of us but someday that will change. The two of us will be starting our first year at Hogwarts in September._

_Aunt Andi and Uncle Ted are solicitors in both the magical and mundane (I hate the term muggle) worlds so I grew up in one of the more posh suburbs of London. Well, I actually spent most of my time that I wasn't in school in the care of Professor Gwen Proteus, so I didn't get out as much as I would've liked. I'm not sick or anything but I think you should know that I was born a Type 2 Metamorphmagus. Most people think of metamorphs as little more than half-breed creatures that are only good as toys to fulfill other people's twisted fantasies but I hope you aren't one of them. Tonks is a Type 1 Metamorphmagus and helped me get some control over my powers. If you have any questions about this, just ask me and I'll give you an honest answer._

_In case you haven't guessed yet, the package that came with this letter holds my second piece offering along with some other things. The most important of which is a copy of the marriage contract that was made by Anton Delacour and Charlus Potter. Before you read it, I'd ask that you not be angry with your great-grandfather because he was a man of honor and you'd be doing him a disservice. _

_From a letter I found with the original contract, my great-grandfather saved yours which created a life-debt. Someday, I'll let you read it if you want to. All that matters is that Anton felt the contract was the only way to repay Charlus' act of bravery. I wish such noble intent had been behind my second contract. That one was made during my father's bachelor party and involved large quantities of firewhiskey, exotic dancers and was written on the back of a cocktail napkin._ (The French witch had stopped stroking Artemis to take a drink of orange juice and almost choked as she read that last sentence.)

_The other major difference between the two contracts is that I actually know Daphne Greengrass. Her father does a lot of business in the muggle world and he wanted his daughters to understand them so he enrolled them in St. Oran's; a private primary school. It was the same primary school that my sister and I went to. Daph and Tracy Davis – a half-blood girl that also went to primary with us – are my two best friends. Between them, my sister and my cousin, I really need to get some guy friends._

_I also included pictures for you so you can know what the people you got stuck with look like. Some are of just me but there are a few with my sister and family. Daphne included a few pictures as well; one of her and the rest are of me, her, Tracy and Gemini. _

_The last items in the package are my second peace offering. Because we're going to go get custom wands made in a couple of days (Daph and Gem are still mad that I'm getting two for myself), I figured it would be a good idea for you to get one too. You will find a green and black feather, the heartstring from a Hebridean Black dragon and the fang of a Cerberus. The first two are from animals that are special to me and the last is from Daphne because it's supposed to be good for protective spells. If you already have a custom wand, then all I ask is that you keep the feather as a token if nothing else and then sell the rest to buy something you want._

_I can't think of anything else to say right now so I guess I'll close this letter. Hopefully, your summer wasn't completely ruined by the contract or my lack of timely response. If you would like then I'd love to keep in touch._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry James Potter_

_Heir of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter_

Fleur finished reading the letter then handed it her father and tore into the package. While the family patriarch perused it, she examined the marriage contract with a critical eye. Not finding any loopholes or escape clauses for either part, she turned it over to Jean-Xavier as well. Of course, her father let out snort then a bark of laughter in the same places she had in the letter before passing on to his wife and mother-in-law. The statesman only glanced through the contract because his suspicions were confirmed.

The teen witch looked through all of the pictures while the two older Veela worked their way through the letter. She handed of the images then moved on to the remaining items. As her hand touched the feather, Fleur it pulsed with an aura that shot up her arm then seemed to anchor around her heart. A small gasp escaped her lips and she reluctantly let it go to move on to the other two potential wand core ingredients. Like with everything else, these were passed around as well. It only dawned on her at that moment that nobody had said a word since she opened the package, not even little Gabrielle.

"Well, it seems we have much to discuss," Jean-Xavier began after he gathered his thoughts.

_The Hogwarts Express; Sept. 1__st__, 1991_

7th Year Hufflepuff prefect, Nymphadora Tonks, slid open the door to a compartment in the middle of the train then ushered her young charges inside. She helped the boy and girl get settled and started to back out.

"Alright you two, I need to go meet up with my friends so play nice with the other firsties but if you need me then I'll be just two compartments up," the pink haired Tonks told them and slid the door shut behind her.

The Potter twins wasted no time, they dug around in their trunks and pulled out everything needed to ease the boredom of the next several hours; books, magazines and playing cards. Gemini Potter settled back with the latest copy of Charms Quarterly and waited for their other friends to arrive. She had a heart shaped face, deep red hair that just touched her shoulders and a carbon copy of her mother except that her almond shaped eyes were hazel like her father. Her petite pre-teen body already showed signs that she'd be an early bloomer; much to her brother and Uncle Ted's displeasure. Like most of the older years that had arrived an hour early, she already wore the knee-length black skirt, white blouse and tie that made up half of the Hogwarts uniform. Her robe was draped across the top of her trunk on the overhead rack.

Her twin, Harry, on the other hand was a little more punk his appearance. While the black slacks were perfectly pressed, the white dress shirt with school crest on the pocket was untucked, unbuttoned to proudly display the Ramones t-shirt underneath and the sleeve cuffs were rolled up twice. On each wrist was a two-inch studded leather wristbands and a matching dog collar was around his throat. The green eyes and facial features that he inherited from Lily and James respectively was crowned with a two-toned faux-hawk (short blue hair on the sides and bronze on top) instead of his natural black bird's nest. His prescription lenses were currently configured into mirrored Ray Bans and an emerald inlaid with an onyx wedge stud decorated his left earlobe.

Gemini gave her brother a once over and quirked a brow at his choice of hairstyles, because the lightning bolt scar over his right eye was clearly visible, then returned to her magazine.

Harry was hunched over shuffling a deck of muggle playing cards, two books on the bench next to him. He continued the activity even after his sister broke the silence that settled in the compartment.

"I thought we were supposed to be low key. You know, not attract attention to the fact that the _Mysterious Potter Twins_ have come out of hiding," Gemini commented off-handedly.

"Unless they are adults that knew Mum and Dad, nobody on the train will know who we are. Come on, do you think any of purebloods would guess who we are? There've never been any pictures of us so not even muggleborns that read up on the war could recognize us," he replied with a matching tone.

They lapsed back into silence for another forty minutes. Neither one so much as glanced over when the door slid open nor at the two young witches slip inside with their trunks. Both new arrivals are blonde haired and blue eyed, except the slightly taller one had the longer golden hair that fell past her shoulders. The other's hair was short, curly and just a few shades lighter than brown.

"Hey girls," Gemini greeted once the door was closed again while Harry got up and helped them put their trunks on the overhead racks.

"Hey, Gem, I'm glad we made it but I wish we would've come with you guys because it's a nightmare out there," Daphne Greengrass – the taller girl – answered and caused the twins to look briefly out the window then back.

As they had sat back absorbed in their own little worlds, Platform 9 ¾ had become packed with students, their families and reporters who appeared to be standing around like a bunch of lemmings waiting for something to happen. That something happened another ten minutes later. In the mean time, Daphne and Tracy Davis settled onto the seats next to the twins; the Greengrass heiress next to Harry and Tracy beside Gemini. The future Lord Potter blushed after he received a quick peck on the cheek from Daphne.

"Thanks Harry," she said over the giggling of the other girls.

"N-n-no problem," he eventually stammered out to more titters from the peanut gallery.

"I think you almost broke him, Daph," Tracy teased then continued solemnly, "I missed you guys over the summer it sucked being stuck here all summer with my family; how where your holidays?" For a moment, her friends felt guilty for having fun while she was left to her suffer the emotional abuse of her father and stepmother.

Lord Horatio Davies Llywelyn, Head of the Noble House of Davies and Steward of the Ancient House of Llywelyn, had maintained the neutrally of his families from the advances of Grindlewald, Voldemort and the three Dark Lords and Lady that came before them during his ninety-five years of life. He was a proud man of regal baring and deeply spiritual nature whose opinion carried much weight among both Dark and Light families. His son, on the other hand, was a nothing like his father and proved that the apple sometimes actually did fall very far from the tree.

Trenton Davies was petty, arrogant, vain and avaricious. He cared little about his family's honor or heritage and only paid lip service to those traditions that furthered his own ambitions. In short, he was the quintessential Slytherin of the late 1970's, as well as the perfect recruit for Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters. From the time he entered Hogwarts, the Dark Lord had his spies watching the young man. That was where he met his future wife, Georgette Campbell. Together, they played the usual intrigues of Slytherin House and worked their way up through the ranks. The two married during their sixth year because she'd gotten pregnant; Roger Davies was born April 23, 1977.

Against his father's wishes, he accepted an invitation from Lucius Malfoy to attend a special Halloween party; the purpose of which was to induct new Death Eaters. Fortunately, Horatio was no fool. He knew what happened at these so-called parties and had his son followed to the location and notified the Aurors. The raid happened just after Trenton finished brutally raping a thirteen-year-old muggle girl. All of the Death Eaters apparated out the second the sentry saw the Aurors arrive so Davies was easily captured before he had been able to use a killing curse on his victim. While the teenage girl was taken first to St. Mungo's then to the Davies estate, her tormentor had been thrown into a Ministry holding cell.

His subsequent trial before the Wizengamut was a joke. Because muggle-hunting (killing) and muggle-riding (rape) weren't crimes in the eyes of wizarding law, the case against Trenton was going to be dropped until his father intervened. Lord Davies Llywelyn that while those may not be crimes, Death Eater paraphernalia had been recovered at the scene and worse yet – his son's victim proved to be immune to Obliviation. That last revelation is what swayed the court; Trenton Davies was sentenced to a year in Azkaban for violating the International Statue of Secrecy, of which he only served seven months.

The former inmate returned home to find his pregnant victim installed in the ancestral home, a very angry wife and a young son excited about getting a new brother or sister. To add further insult to injury, Lord Horatio had stripped him of his rightful place and named little Roger as the Heir of House Davies. Trenton was reduced to being just a scion of the House and forced to watch as his father signed an agreement that made a former classmate, Lord Sebastian Greengrass, the Steward of the Noble House of Davies until his son came of age. Needless to say, Trenton and Georgette constantly reminded Tracy that she was the reason for their disgrace at every opportunity.

The slightly awkward moment passed and Daphne gushed about her family's trip to Japan. When she was done, Gemini launched into her own narrative.

"Uncle Ted thought it would be a good idea to take a vacation for a change and took the family on a tour of the magical ruins of Central and South America," she began and you could see the jealousy that flashed in the other girls' expressions during the narrative. Harry used the tale as a distraction to lay one of the books beside him on the laps of his friends.

"What are these," Tracy asked absently at the end of the story and drew Daphne's attention to the weight in her lap.

"Those are called books. The one you have is about the magical plants of the Americas and Daph's is an encyclopedia of Aztec, Incan, Mayan and Toltec Runes," Harry explained using a tone one reserved for talking to small children. The short haired blonde witch smacked him in the head and stuck her tongue out after both girls squealed in excitement over their presents.

"Thanks," the both chirped then dove in to their tomes.

Harry looked back out the window when he noticed the crowd had become more animated. The Boy-Who-Lived had made it to the platform and was being mobbed by people wanting to touch their Savior or take his picture. At his side was a redheaded boy that ate up the attention and even mugged for the cameras. _Poor Neville, that insanity could've happened to me – _he thought thankfully before he went back to working with his cards. His sister and friends often teased him about his fascination muggle stage magician tricks. He argued back that those sleight-of-hand and escape artist skill were going to come in handy one day.

The train ride started out peacefully as the four firsties alternated between reading, speculating about the coming school year or (in the case of the three girls) watching Harry practice his legerdemain. They all stopped three hours into the ride when the trolley lady passed their compartment and bought just enough snacks to tide them over until dinner. While they were enjoying the cache of pumpkin pasties and assorted sweets, the pleasant atmosphere was broken when the door slid open to reveal a trio of people.

Neville Longbottom, a pudgy round faced boy with dark hair and shy expression, was flanked by a tall gangly ginger headed boy and a bucktoothed girl with bushy brown hair already dressed in her complete school uniform. The quartet looked at the intruders expectantly until "Bushy" opened her mouth.

"Sorry to be a bother but have any of you seen a toad. Neville, here, seems to have lost his. Is this your first time to Hogwarts as well. I was ever so surprised when I got my letter and learned that I was a witch; it explained so much, my parents and I never even considered the possibility of magic. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way and the other boy is Ronald Weasley. And you are…," the witch said with a single breath while "Ginger" looked at her like she was mental.

Daphne decided to take it upon herself to make the introductions as the others were still gob smacked by the longwinded sentence that came out of the newcomer's mouth.

"My name is Daphne Greengrass; the girl across from me is Tracy Davis and the other two are the Potter twins, Gemini and Harry – my betrothed."

"I've heard of you, you were there that night when You-know-who was killed by Neville," Ron gushed while he pointed between the twins. At the same time, the bushy haired witch's eyes went as wide as saucers and her mouth opened and closed repeatedly.

"YOU CAN'T BE BETROTHED, YOU'RE ONLY ELEVEN," Hermione screeched hysterically. Heads started to pop out of the nearby compartments as her shout drew everyone's attention.

Harry noticed the blonde tense and saw the writing on the wall. He quickly interjected before his intended's anger could blow. "Look, you're obviously muggleborn and that's cool but you really have no clue about the world that you're getting into. Marriage contracts have been a tradition among our kind since the ancient Egyptian Wizards started to form Dynasties. It may have fallen out of favor over the last couple of centuries but it still happens among the Old Pureblood families. We may not like it but at least we've been friends growing up."

"B-b-b-but that's barbaric," she sputtered indignantly.

Luckily, Tonks showed up before an even bigger scene was created. She expertly guided the trio away while their fellow students started whispering amongst themselves. By the time the train reached Hogsmead, everyone was gossiping about the return of the Potter twins and the betrothal of Harry and Daphne.

Just as the quartet started to relax again, Harry grimaced as pain wracked his body. All of his exposed flesh started to ripple and his hair returned to its natural color and length. Gemini reached into one of his pants pockets and removed a potion vial. She popped the stopper off then forced it down her brother's throat while Tracy removed his left wristband to check the silver Suppression Bracelet hidden under it for damage. The ripples and pain ceased but he collapsed weakly with his head in Daphne's lap.

"That's his first attack today, it'll only get worse when we get to Hogwarts," the redheaded witch breathed.

Not for the first time in her life, Gemini Potter has glad Fate had spared her the bulk of the genetic _Blessings_ her parents' union gifted her brother. The three young witches shared a worried glance while they waited for Harry to recover from his _episode_. Nature played a cruel trick on Type 2 Metamorphmagi; to compensate for the additional gift they received, they are born with their metamorphic abilities active. Because of that, most never reach Hogwarts age as they are often killed by frightened neighbors or distraught parents that couldn't handle the stigma associated with such a freakish condition.

Five minutes before the trip ended, Harry was back to his normal self. He used the remaining time to sort himself out. The dress shirt was buttoned, except for the top button due to the studded collar, and tucked hit; the school tie was knotted but hung loosely around his neck. He put back on his wristband then slipped on the final part of the uniform, his robe. The four youngsters left the train then joined their fellow 1st years as they were led by a giant of a man to some boats along the shore of Black Lake.

_Inside the Great Hall, Hogwarts…_

After being frightened by the castle's resident ghosts, the nervous and frightened firsties followed Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall. Her stern expression and stiff carriage just screamed Prison Matron to the Potter twins. The stares from the older students and staff weren't helping their nerves any. The young metamorph decided he needed to embrace his inner Marauder to break the tension. Once the Deputy Headmistress had them lined up in front of the staff table and placed the Sorting Hat onto a stool, he put his hastily constructed plan into action.

Harry smirked roguishly then strode up to the stool before McGonagall read a single name from the scroll in her hands. He grabbed the hat its brim and flipped over to show the opening to his fellow students. Then, with his tongue sticking partially out of the side of his mouth, he jabbed his free hand inside. Everybody gasped in shock they watched his aura flare for a moment and when he pulled his hand from the Sorting Hat, it was clutched around the antlers of a strange rabbit.

"Ah man, a jackalope, I was trying for just a rabbit. That trick never works," he muttered loud enough for all to hear then returned to his spot in line, stroking the animal like some kind of Bond villain while the Hall burst into a fit of laughter.

The Sorting went on without further interruption but McGonagall kept shooting him a grim expression every now and then. He paid little attention to the ceremony itself except to note that both Tracy and Daphne had made it into Ravenclaw. There were shouts of surprise when Draco Malfoy, the blonde haired kid that he'd met school shopping in Diagon Alley, was sorted into Hufflepuff. The boy in question wore a smug smile all the way to his new House's table. Finally, his sister's name was called and then…

"Potter, Harry," the Deputy Headmistress intoned. Despite her annoyed expression, he swore he saw her lips twitch.

Harry sat down on the stool and watched the room disappear into darkness as the hat slipped down over his eyes. A foreign voice in his head startled him.

_Relax; I just need to poke around a bit to see where to place you. My, my, Mr. Potter; you are just full of surprises aren't you. Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me and I'm going to love watching the chaos from the spanner you're going to throw into that old goat fucker's plans. Anyway, I suppose I should just put you in…_

"RAVENCLAW," the hat shouted and his girls' shouts could be heard above the standard clapping.

The ceremony reached its natural conclusion and then everyone tucked in to the feast that materialized on the tables. Harry and Gemini managed to deflect questions about where they'd been for the last ten years and about the news of the betrothal. Their fellow Claws soon deduced that it was neither the time nor place for such inquiries and let them drop for now. The same couldn't be said for the Gryffindor's because they kept hounding Neville Longbottom.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore raised his hand from his spot behind the lectern to get everyone's attention. He welcomed everyone and reminded them not to go into the forbidden forest or cast spells in the halls. Then there was something about a list of banned items, not that Harry really cared, but the strangest announcement came at the end.

"The third floor corridor, east of the Charms classroom, is strictly off limits to anyone that does not wish to die a horrible death," the eccentric ancient said then sent the students to their dorms after a nightmarish rendition of the school song that people sang to different tunes.

The Ravenclaws filed out of the Hall while the Potter twins were being led to the Headmaster's office by Professor Flitwick, their diminutive Head of House.

**AN: I'll explain my concept of Type 2 Metamorphmagi in the next chapter but the bottom line is that Harry will have a Animagus form. Anyone that can figure out what it is will get a special mention. Before anyone says anything about Draco being a Puff… think about it. He's going to be Harry's Sirius. I can't believe this chapter ended up ten pages long. It wanted to be longer but I need sleep at some point so I thought I found a good point to stop.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Unchained**

_Disclaimer: I already said it._

Ch. 2: The Meeting

Professor Filius Flitwick, Charms teacher and Head of Ravenclaw House, was not a happy wizard as he led two of his newest Claws to the Headmaster's office. Contrary to what many would think, his bad wasn't for the impressive display of magic one those students had performed earlier. Rather, it was the direct result of the expression on Dumbledore's face during the Sorting; particularly, when the Potter twins had been sorted into his house. A mixture of anger and calculation had crossed over the Headmaster's features before he swiftly schooled them back into the _benevolent grandfather_ mask he normally wore. The vertically challenged instructor had little doubt that what Albus had meant when he requested to meet with the twins after the feast was that he wanted to interrogate the Potter siblings without any witnesses present. Naturally, the professor countered by stating that he would only bring the twins if the other Heads of House were there as well. The aged wizard was forced to reluctantly agree to the stipulation.

Harry and Gemini followed a couple of feet behind their Head of House and if Flitwick had turned around he would have seen the two engaged in an unusual form of silent communication. Instead of the usually sign language that most purebloods wouldn't have understood anyway, they used their upper arms as a straight line while the fingers of the opposite hand were used to create Celtic Ogham characters in a manner mundanes would later refer to as Text Speak. This was a good thing because the jackalope was cradled in Gemini's arms.

_U ok? – G_

_Will b – H_

_Plan? – G_

_GC BC – H_

The twins shared an evil smirk of anticipation over playing their favorite tag-team game.

_In the Headmaster's Office_

Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk and gently massaged his temples while he and most of his senior staff waited for their last member to arrive with the objects of his tension headache. He would've preferred to conduct this interview without prying eyes but Filius had skillfully blocked his attempt. The Headmaster was further surprised when the school's Mediwitch, Madam Pomphrey, had shown up with a brown haired woman in tow. The woman introduced herself as Prof. Gwen Proteus and claimed to be the Potter's personal healer but hadn't given any further details.

As they waited, his mind went over his plan for the twins and Neville Longbottom. Everything hinged on the Potter's getting sorted into Gryffindor with Neville so they could be molded into the perfect generals for his Chosen One. Obviously, that plan had gone out the window and he needed to regroup. Albus hoped that he might get some answers out of the siblings that would be helpful in salvaging his ultimate goal. Unfortunately, his mind drifted off topic then down paths best left untrod.

Dumbledore had long ago started to believe more in his myth than the reality of the man that he was. For a century, he used insight in an attempt to guide Magical Britain toward the Greater Good; a utopian ideal the magical and muggle worlds blended seamlessly and everyone was equal regardless of race or blood status. At least that had been his original thought about the concept. Like most ideologies, it became corrupted over time and the deteriorating mental health of its creator.

The horrors of war were what started his eventual downslide into paranoia. Gellert Grindlewald, who had been another true believer in the Greater Good, disagreed in how to bring it about. Instead of the subtle approach advocated by his friend and lover, he thought the more direct method of violence was the best way to achieve the goal. Using the Thule Society as an intermediary, Grindlewald engineered Hitler's rise to power then used the resultant Second World War as a smokescreen for his own bloody campaign of terror. Albus tried to stay out of the fight but he was finally forced into a confrontation with his lover. History records that it was an epic battle in which Dumbledore outclassed the newly christened Dark Lord and easily defeated him.

The truth was something different. Gellert's forces had been overrun but still the wizard fought on. In spite of numerous injuries, he held his own against a mixed forced of French, British and American hit wizards for two hours before he was taken out. Dumbledore stepped in and engaged an enemy that was weakened from blood loss and magical exhaustion, if the enemy had been at his best, Albus never would've won.

It was during the aftermath of the conflict that the much lauded Leader of the Light learned of the atrocities committed, and dangerous weapons created, by the muggles during their war that the noble intentions of the Greater Good began to erode. That was the first sparks of paranoia flared; the realization that the muggles not only outnumbered the magicals by nearly 10:1, they had developed the means wipeout his world. Albus' dreamed of utopia could never be and he needed to protect his people at any cost.

Dumbledore soon found himself in a unique position. With his defeat of Grindlewald, the International Confederation of Wizards elected him their leader – The Supreme Mugwump. In the only show of forward thinking by European wizards, the magical governments on the continent joined forces and created a new advisory body to hopefully prevent another devastating war. The Unified European Council natural chose Albus for the top spot of its Grand Sorcerer. From these places of power, the terrified wizard subtly but deftly succeeded in isolating Magical Britain from the rest of the world. As his mind sank further into the depths of xenophobia, he allowed the pureblood minority of his homeland to push through laws in support of the supremacist beliefs that eventually led to Voldemort's rise to power.

As the war with the new Dark Lord and his Death Eaters escalated, not once did Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore take any share of the blame for the situation. Quite the opposite in fact; he became even more convinced that the magical world needed to isolate itself and the damaging impact of the increasing number of muggleborns minimized. Some changes would have to be made in the short term but further innovations and the degrading of the culture would be stopped altogether. The unexpected cessation of the conflict created a power vacuum and yet again, Dumbledore was given the reigns of the Wizengamut as the Chief Warlock.

During the ten years of peace since the last war, Albus became more and more convinced that only he knew what the right course of action was as he watched the Machiavellian political intrigues of the Wizengamut Chamber while continuing to use his other leadership rolls to keep Magical Britain sheltered. The majority of his duties as Headmaster had been unceremoniously dumped into the lamp of his Deputy Head, Minerva McGonagall, while he plotted out how to rebuild after the next inevitable war with the Dark Lord. It was a source of pride that the first steps of his Phoenix Initiative had gone through without undue scrutiny; muggleborns were prevented from attaining higher positions than low to mid level functionaries within the Ministry of Magic. Within a year's time, the next part of the Initiative would be attached as a rider to Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act. Couched within enough double-speak to confuse the most ardent bureaucrat, the Preservation Clause would force muggleborn witches to produce heirs for two pureblood families before being allowed to marry and have children of their own. As all of those children would be raised in the magical world, the muggleborns would eventually be bred out.

The Headmaster snapped out of his reverie as the wards outside of his office announced the arrival of Filius and his charges. His gaze swept over the three of them and motioned for them to take the seats in front of his desk. He desperately needed an opening that wouldn't put the Potter children automatically on the offensive. Albus noticed that Harry looked paler than he had at the feast and his hands trembled slightly. It was obvious that he was ill and the healer was for him. Thus, the old man sent a legilimancy probe at the healthier of the two. It proved to be a tactical error because, much to his chagrin, the probe encountered a solid barrier.

Gemini Potter felt the Headmaster's mental probe brush against her shield and exploded as only a fiery redhead could.

"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO MIND RAPE ME! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU WRINKLY OLD SHEEP SHAGGER! I'LL RIP OF YOUR HEAD THEN SHITE DOWN YOUR NECK! I'LL SAW OFF YOUR BITS WITH A RUSTY SPOON THEN JAB THEM IN AND OUT OF YOUR THROAT UNTIL YOU CHOKE ON YOUR OWN SPOOGE! I'LL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH, HANG YOU UP BY YOUR ENTRAILS THEN BATHE IN YOUR BLOOD WHILE YOU DIE! I'LL… I'LL… I'LL… AAAAARGH," the petite young witch screamed then launched herself across the desk while all of the adults stared in shock. The tiny hellcat managed to wrap one of her hands around Dumbledore's too long beard, yank his head closed to the desk and reach for a rather conveniently placed letter opener before Professor Flitwick and her brother pulled her back by her robe. Unfortunately, she had kept an iron grip on the beard until she was almost forced back into her seat.

The other occupants of the room slowly came back to reality as Harry doubled over in pain and the received another shock to their collective systems when they witnessed the flesh on his face ripple. Gwen Proteus brought the focus to her after she rushed to the boy's side, pulled out a vial of some potion and then made him drink it. He sank back into his chair to regain his composure but kept a hand firmly on his sister's shoulder. In the mean time, Albus was faced with a very pissed off Senior Staff. With the exception of Severus Snape, they all demanded to know what he was thinking by trying to probe Gemini's mind.

Harry coughed to get everyone's attention then paused as the jackalope that had fallen out of his sister's arms when she took on the roll of Bad Cop hopped into her lap. She managed to still keep an angry expression even while she gently stroked the magical horned bunny.

"While I'm sure that the Headmaster meant no harm, let's table that discussion until an official Board of Inquiry can be held," the Potter Heir began but was quickly interrupted by the guilty wizard.

"Surely a Board of Inquiry will not be necessary. After all, you yourself brought up your belief that I meant no harm to your sister," Albus tried in the hope that the incident could be swept under the table; much to the displeasure of the others.

"I'm afraid that it is… and don't call me Shirley," Harry responded with a genial tone then pulled some items out of his robe pocket then placed them on the desk in front of him. He tapped them with his wand and they turned into a leather bound tome and a stack of files before he continued.

"While the use of legilimancy on minors is illegal and punishable by two years in Azkaban, to do it on a child of one of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses brings an automatic life sentence. It is also a clear violation of the Hogwarts Charter to have a Legilimens on staff if the school is not teaching classes in both Mind Arts. According to the public files available from the Board of Governors upon request, both yourself and Professor Snape are Legilimens but no Mind Arts courses are listed among the current electives for third-years and up. Besides, you already violated the Charter earlier so I can't just let this incident slide regardless of your intentions."

"Excuse me but what was the first so-called violation," Professor McGonagall asked through tight lips.

"I'm talking about the Sorting. While not against the Charter, it's not supposed to be done until the students reach their fourth year. It was believed by the Founders that only at that after a few years of training could a person's dominant personality traits be shown. The rule was never changed; Headmistress St. Claire, one of the few Hufflepuffs to hold the position, became distressed at all of the friendships that were broken because of the Sorting that she decided to start doing the Sorting on incoming first-years. She failed to realize that those relationships ended because of intrahouse politics more than anything else," he replied. His answer seemed shocked the teachers because they'd never heard such a thing before.

"Now, if the Headmaster was willing to sign an agreement to stop trying to take us from our Guardians and meddle in our affairs then I'm more than happy to forego a hearing. Our family would still be notified, of course, but no further actions would be taken unless he violated the agreement," Harry commented serenely as he pulled a folded piece of parchment from inside his robes then slid it over to the Headmaster. Albus was not amused as he reluctantly signed the document under the baleful glares of his underlings… er, staff. The young wizard nodded and tucked the offending parchment back into his robes.

"That ugly business being out of way, I realize you must have questions. Sadly, being here in the Castle already put me under a great deal of strain and my little trick hasn't helped the situation so let me head off the more impertinent of them. No, we will not tell you who our guardians are or where our parents are being treated. Nor, we will answer anything about where we grew up; the answers to each of those questions are none of your concern. Anything else is open for discussion within reason but please remember that I need to rest," he stated non-plussed.

Professor Severus Snape had faded into the shadows and observed everything that was happening around him with an amused smirk. He had been raised in the muggle world and grew up watching television so he easily recognized the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine the twins had adopted to keep the Headmaster off balance and answer his questions without revealing anything they felt was critical. The former spymaster made a mental note to keep an eye on those two in the future.

"Very well, within those parameters I only have three questions at this time; what condition do you have that requires your own personal healer? How did you perform that amazing trick in the Great Hall? And lastly, is the rumor that you and Miss Greengrass betrothed true," the Headmaster asked in rapid succession.

"As your last question is the easiest I'll answer it first. Yes, the rumor is true, there is a contract. It is one of two active contracts that I must fulfill or suffer the consequences and that's all I'm going to say on the matter," Harry responded the continued.

"Pulling the jackalope out of the Sorting Hat can be chalked up to a case of convenient accidental magic; I was only trying to clown around to ease the tension of the other first years. I never actually expected it to work…

"The answer to your first question is a bit more involved. My condition is that I was born a Type 2 Metamorphmagus; the only Type 2 to be born in the United Kingdom and one of the only three known to exist at the moment. There were more but they were killed off during the war with Grindlewald. The main difference between normal – or Type 1's – and Type 2's is that the latter are born with ability being active instead manifesting sometime between one months and three-years-old. The other thing that separates them is that a Type 2 Metamorphmagi has an animagus form.

"I'm giving this next bit mostly because it directly relates to Professor McGonagall. When a witch or wizard becomes an animagus, Magic demands that a price be paid. The transformation into their animal form alters the genetic structure of their human bodies. This alteration doesn't hurt or affect them in anyway but is passed on to any children they have later on. If their spouse is a magical, regardless of blood status, then their first child is born a Type 1 Metamorphmagus; all other children carry the metamorph ability as a passive trait. With a mundane – or non-magical – spouse, all the children are born normal half-bloods but still carry the ability as a passive trait. At random intervals, the trait becomes active and a descendent will be born a metamorphmagus.

"Type 2's can only be born under a very specific set of parameters. Not only must both spouses be animagi but they both have to carry the passive metamorph trait. Before anyone starts in on how that is impossible in my case, let me remind you of the First Law of Magic: Magic is, it can neither be created nor destroyed. If you can't figure out how that applies in this instance then I won't spell it out for you.

"When it comes to animagus forms, every Type 2 has an affinity for a specific species of animal. Contrary to what you might be thinking, we don't have the ability to shift into all the varieties within that species, we must imprint on a specific type. Again, to save time, the answer is yes. I know what species I'm attuned to and this summer I imprinted on a particular one but I don't have enough control over my ability yet to even attempt to change into it. That's the reason I wear a Suppression Bracelet under my wristband.

"Professor Proteus is the world's leading expert on magical genetics and conditions. It was very lucky that while on a trip to the Continent, my paranoid father insisted my mum get checked out by a healer. The mediwizard recognized the anomalies in his scans for what they were and notified the Professor."

"There has never been an opportunity to study a Type 2 from birth until they learn to control their abilities. The other two were older when it was discovered what they were; Sergei Malkovich – a Russian Auror – was thirty when he was hospitalized after getting hit with a very nasty dark curse. When the healer discovered his condition and reported it, he explained to his superiors how his family lived in isolation until he was able to control his powers. He used them to become the top Auror in St. Petersburg. All the medical records were seals as a State Secret until he retired.

"Raven Morningway is a witch of Navajo descent in America. Her family also kept her in isolation until she went off to the Salem Academy for the Magically Gifted when she was eleven. Unfortunately, the summer before her second year one of the Tribal Elders stumbled across her coming out of her animagus form. The superstitious fool thought she was something called a Skinwalker. On his authority, her parents were murdered and she almost was but her grandfather – a member of the Wizard Senate – arrived in time to save her. Both have provided researchers with valuable insights into the condition after the fact but nothing compares to first hand data.

"I will be staying in the Castle only for the first month or two then rent rooms down in the nearby village. One of the issues involving Type 2's is that being in areas of highly concentrated magic tends to overload the Suppression Bracelet and erode the limited control it gives them over their metamorphic talent. It is my hope that we will progress enough with his treatment that I won't need to be here next year and we can go to quarterly appointments. Your initial curiosity should be satisfied and I must insist that Harry be allowed to go rest," Gwen finished the explanation and quietly asked Flitwick to take the twins to the Ravenclaw dorms.

"Professor, what was that potion you gave to Mr. Potter," Snape called out as she made to follow after her ward.

"It's a modified cocktail of pain relieving, muscle relaxing and calming potions. I developed it with the help of Ms. Morningway," she answered without breaking stride.

The door closed behind her with a soft click. Severus faded back into the shadows and he watched his fellows turn on their leader with righteous indignation burning in their eyes. Since discretion was the better valor, he wisely chose to slip away unnoticed before the shouting started.

_Meanwhile, in another part of the Castle…_

Three grey cloaked figures watched everything happened through a special mirror that had been hidden in Dumbledore's office. The images wee being recorded in a special memory sphere and would be sent to the Department of Mysteries with their other dispatches.

**AN: Here's another chapter. For those of you that guessed that Harry's animagus form is a phoenix… sorry but nope. It will probably be a couple of weeks before I update this again because I want to get some chapters up for my other stories. What do you think of Dumble's ideas for the future?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Unchained**

**AN1: Based on some of the guesses about HP's animagus form and some other things in your reviews, I decided that I should repost the rules for CombatWars challenge to clear some things up. By the way, Shadow of the Light Hawk successfully guessed the form after I pointed out the four major clues in Chapter One. I got special permission to play within these rules for this story.**

**Challenge! XD:**

**You can enter for fun or for the competition.** Okay. There are some things here. 1) Harry **MUST** be in Ravenclaw and is** Smart, Independent,** and **Somewhat Powerful**. 2) **MUST** be a **Harry/Daphne** or **Harry/Hermione** or **Harry/Fleur**. Or can be a threesome/foursome. But only these 4 characters. 3) Dumbledore **MUST** be 80% good, 20% misguided. 4) **Has to be** one of the following: _a) Twin Fic; _ _b) Neville BWL Fic;_ _c) Harry as older brother to BWL_; _d) WBWL with either a or c._

_**If choosing D, Lily and James will not be abusive to Harry but will sometimes forget about him, driving him to be better. The Twin/Brother/Sister will not be snobby/fat. They will not treat Harry badly. They will be average as Harry is more powerful than they are but not freakishly powerful. Just maybe freakishly smart! XD**_

_**If with Fleur and Fleur only, Harry will be 2-3 years older.**_

5) Weasley's** will not be dirt poor** and as such **will not be "diabolical"** or whatever.(So no love potions/charms/imperious/ sluttish appearance.) 6) **Must have some smut**...between the pairings in #2. 7) **No slash** for Harry...=.= 8) **None of the three girls gets raped**...That's a firm answer too. (That stands for Harry also.) 9) No rewrites (Must be Original Story/Idea) 10) Must be written in English...DUH! lol. =.= 11) Ronald **must not be jealous** of Harry and **must not take Harry's "Girl" away from him**. 12) Harry **must make his own way into the world**. Meaning, he makes his own money. 13) **No multiple heirs**. I've read so many stories that Harry gains all this money and becomes the head of all these houses...=.=. **He is only the heir of Potter, nothing else!** 14) Potter Vault contains around **1,000,000Galleons.** 15) Harry has a _**unique**_ Animagus form. Meaning...**NO PHOENIX!** 16) Harry gets a familiar. A Phoenix is okay on this one.

_**Warning: Severus Snape has no redeeming qualities whatsoever in this story. He is a sick an twisted individual then needs to die.**_

Ch. 3: A Warning and First Week

Severus Snape stalked through the darkened hallways of Hogwarts to his office. While the Potter twins had provided some entertainment as they gave the miserable old goat fucker his comeuppance, they also presented a conundrum that needed to be solved but first he needed to send a letter to Lucius about the boy's condition. The current head of the Malfoy family would see to it that his contacts in the Ministry and Wizengamut heard about it. Metamorphmagi were almost more reviled than those classed

as creatures. Besides, his snakes had most likely already informed the former elite Death Eater about how his only heir was sorted into Hufflepuff and he was going to need something to ease his foul mood.

The potions master paused midstride as he felt the presence of his Master brush against the edges of his consciousness. Until the Dark Lord contacted him with orders to the contrary, he resolved himself to continue his role of the Headmaster's ever faithful and repentant lapdog. He continued on and reached his destination five minutes later.

Snape sat at his desk then pulled out some parchment, ink and a quill still intent on sending his missive. A scream of unadulterated rage echoed through the dungeons forty minutes later. The professor's hand shook as the quill continued to hover over the blank page. Another few minutes passed before he threw the quill down with disgust. The damned Life Debt that he owed James Potter had obviously passed on to his children and prevented him from revealing any of the family's secrets until it was deemed to be paid in full. He stormed over to the floo then used it to access his personal quarters.

The sallow skinned wizard stepped out of the fireplace and into a room that shocked anyone that entered it. One wall was dominated by wizard photos of Lily Evans; from the time she was nine up until she had gone into hiding. Candles burned on an altar before the pictures. It also held three bowls under stasis charms. He paused long enough to take something from the bowl on the left then pull a potion vile from a cabinet by the door. Severus moved through the sitting room and into his bedroom.

Mina Harrison, a 5th Gryffindor girl from a pureblood family of no importance, stood by his bed with her head lowered. The girl had aspirations of becoming a Healer but her brewing skills were abysmal. She begged the potions master for tutoring and at first he'd refused. The girl's family didn't have enough money to make such lessons worth his wile. It wasn't long afterward that her father lost his low level Ministry job; Snape dangled the prospect of private lessons before her as bait and she jumped at the opportunity without considering the personal cost.

The greasy haired letch opened the vile then dropped the red hair from the bowl inside it and gave it to Mina to drink. The Polyjuice took effect and a thirteen-year-old Lily was before him. Severus licked his lips in anticipation, wandlessly banished her robes and drank in the naked flesh. The barest swell of budding breasts and red tinted peach fuzz on her mound made his cock rock hard. He banished his own clothes then turned "Lily" around and used his wand to place the Roman Sigil on her lower back. That twisted piece of magic had been brought to the Isles during the Empire's occupation. It restored a girl's virginity and was used by Roman wizards on their rape victims. Until it was removed, the poor wretch would regain her hymen as soon as the bastard pulled out.

Little did Ms. Harrison realize that she wasn't going to survive the professor's black mood; she hadn't taken the train like everyone else but used the public floo at King's Cross Station to go straight to Snape's office. Nobody knew she was there.

The Head of Slytherin House knew he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. He started out with an hour of his favorite kind of foreplay… beating his "Lily" senseless. After several contusion, lacerations and broken bones, the only thing that kept her on her feet was the fact that her wrists were bound by shackles that hung from the ceiling. From there, he moved on to the usual body modifications; female circumcision followed by piercing of the nipples and clitoris. Her screams of pain only caused his erection to get harder. Once she was perfect, he finally forced her onto all fours then rammed his full length into her tight virgin pussy. If her throat hadn't have been raw from all the screaming earlier then he would've blown his load when she screamed as her innocence was savagely torn through.

The sick fucker lost count of his orgasms and never noticed when the "lover's" heart stopped. Snape thought he had finally sated both his anger and lust when he realized that the girl was dead. His cock instantly hardened and he removed a dagger from the nightstand by his bed then he spent the rest of the night playing with her some more.

_Meanwhile, in Ravenclaw Tower…_

Harry and his sister followed their Head of House back to the dorms after they dropped Professor Proteus off at her quarters. The day had taken its toll on the metamorphmagus and all he wanted was to curl up in bed. He quickly bid Gemini and his Head goodnight then made his way to his dorm. The only other person he shared the room with was Terry Boot and he was already asleep so the young wizard quickly stripped down to his boxers then climbed into his bed but a letter on the nightstand made him pause.

_Harry,_

_I figured the Old Man might try something tonight so I asked Daphne to get this letter to you. No matter what House you ended up in your mother and I are proud of both you and your sister. You already know that you guys are on your own at school and will keep your guards up but I want you to be extra watchful of Gemini._

_I only recently learned that Severus Snape is teaching at Hogwarts; he grew up with your mother and developed an unhealthy obsession with her. Your mother and I are afraid he might transfer that onto Gemini. Remember that we love you both. Stay Safe._

_Dad _

Harry reflected on the letter for over an hour before the exhaustion became too much. His last thought before oblivion claimed him was that unpacking was going to have to wait until sometime after breakfast.

Professor Filius Flitwick sat in his private quarters at the top of Ravenclaw Tower sipping a cup of Goblin Tea. The bitter spicy brew made from specially processed wolf's bane that a specialty of his father's kin. Green flames flared in the nearby floo and Minerva McGonagall's face appeared in the flames. Luckily, the conversation hadn't lasted long and the diminutive Head of House was left with his thoughts after the floo call ended.

In his fifty years of life, the half-goblin had been called many things but none of them was stupid. Born with an intelligence way above the norm and an affinity for charms, he'd taken Hogwarts by storm when he was student. Filius became the youngest Charms Master in the last three hundred years by the time he was fifteen. He used both his intellect and newly acquired mastery, along with the martial acumen of his goblin heritage, to his advantage on the Dueling circuit. By the age of 20, he had won every tournament – both nationally and internationally – and never lost a private duel; he was named Grandmaster Duelist, a title he's held ever since. Having more than proven himself, the vertically challenged wizard went into a quiet semi-retirement as the Charms teacher at his beloved Hogwarts.

The call from McGonagall had caused the last pieces of the puzzle that was the Potter twins to fall into place and he deduced their secret. He had easily recognized the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine the twins had adopted at the meeting earlier. That alone told him that they had been raised with a foot in both worlds; not dissimilar to his own rearing in three worlds, the magical and muggle worlds of his half-blood mother and the goblin world of his father. Then there was Mr. Potter's knowledge and use of both the unabridged Hogwarts Charter and public records that showed the first hint at what kind of guardians raised the twins. He had personally read the abridged charter shortly after he'd become a professor and the double-talk and later legalese nearly confused him. There were only a handful of solicitors in the magical world. Now there was the new information that Minerva provided, that if Professor Proteus wasn't in the castle then Miss Tonks was to be notified about any emergencies involving the young Potter Heir.

On the surface, it made sense because the Hufflepuff was the only other metamorphmagus in the school. In normal circumstances, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one but this was no ordinary case. The seventh year girl's mother was Andromeda Tonks nee Black; a cousin of one James Charles Potter and half of the firm Tonks & Tonks – the first solicitors to practice in both the muggle and magical worlds. With all the facts, it was obvious that young Harry and Gemini had been living with them all this time.

Flitwick polished off his first cup of tea then poured a second which he took with him over to his desk. He took a sip then pulled a quill and some parchment as Nevermore – his raven familiar watched on with interest. The professor inhaled deeply then let out a long sigh before he penned a letter to Andromeda and her husband. In his mind, the time had come for a line to be drawn in the sand, sides chosen and alliances made. For years, the Charms Master, McGonagall and Sprout worried about some of the decisions Albus had made but they remained loyal and trusted he would never do anything that could be deemed a threat to the school. But that was before the Headmaster decided to bring the Philosopher's Stone into the school; now the trio of professors started to wonder about the man's sanity.

The loyalty oath that he'd been forced to take to the school prevented him from going into much detail but he could let the legal eagle and her husband know that there was something in Hogwarts. Filius also included that he knew about their guardianship of young Harry and Gemini and that he wasn't going to tell Dumbledore a thing. The man who jovially referred to himself as a mutt because of his diverse heritage slipped into bed with a smile after he sent off his bird with the letter. That night, he slept the sleep of Angels.

_Monday_

It was a custom at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to give the new and returning students a 48 hour grace period to settle in before the term truly started. When September 1st fell on anywhere between a Monday and a Thursday, the custom caused no end of problems. Fortunately, this year was one of those years where the 1st fell on a Friday so the children had the weekend to ease into life at the castle.

Harry had just stepped out of the boys shower and headed back to the dorm he shared with Terry Boot. The half-blood had had no less than four attacks after the meeting with the Headmaster and spent the weekend confined to his bed. During that time, his sister and the girls unpacked his school books, supplies and knick knacks – they knew better then to even think about touching his baby so that still remained in his trunk. Those two days were also spent getting to know his dorm mate and it was obvious that he and the mundane born wizard would be great friends. When he got back to their room, the metamorph grinned like a Cheshire cat.

The room had been transformed over the past two days from a stone chamber that was oddly warm and inviting – albeit neutral – into a sanctuary that would cause the heads of most pureblood children to explode upon entering. While the traditional Ravenclaw color scheme of blue and bronze had been kept for the bedding and curtains, the walls were decorated with an eclectic mix band and football team posters on Terry's side of the room and vintage posters of Houdini, Hardine, and Eisenheim along with old illusionist stage props on his. Even the two desk chairs had been replaced by a couple of old electric chairs that he'd picked up at an estate sale a few years ago.

Harry quickly closed the door and had to force himself not to laugh. Terry – already showered and in his uniform – was head banging while playing air guitar as AC/DC's _Back in Black_ blared from a glowing crystal on the towel clad wizard's desk. His roommate yelped in surprise when he spun around and found him standing there smirking.

"Having fun, Terry," Potter asked cheekily.

Boot removed his wand from the pocket of his school robes then waved it the crystal ending the music. His cheeks were red from embarrassment.

"No, actually, I needed the AC/DC to try to cleanse my brain after I was forced to listen to _Ice, Ice, Baby_. Seriously mate, Vanilla Ice, what were you bloody thinking," the brown haired boy shot back with a matching smirk.

"I freely admit that I had a moment of temporary insanity," Harry laughed as he proceeded to get dressed.

The two left their room and made their way downstairs to meet the girls before heading off to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Draco Malfoy sat at the Hufflepuff table ready to eat and start classes. He'd spent a relatively quite weekend with his fellow Puffs but knew it was just the calm before the storm. At first, his housemates had been wary of the blonde wizard but that changed after his cousin, Tonks, and a fourth year, Cedric Diggory, told them to give him a chance. Tentatively at first, the rest of the House started asking him questions and were shocked to with what they learned. More than a few friendships were started over the weekend.

If there was one thing that could be said about Draco, it was that he was no pureblood bigot and he absolutely despised the whole bloody idea of Pureblood Supremacy. That being said, the young Mr. Malfoy was very proud of his heritage. Nobody remembered that it was only in the last half-century that both sides of his family fell into disgrace. Abraxus Malfoy and Walburga Black were directly responsible for that because neither family ever subscribed to all that Supremacy crap before then. The Blacks might have used the Dark Arts but they'd fought for the side of the Light since the time of King Arthur. Even the Malfoy's had been honorable warriors – Sir Claude Malfoy, the progenitor of his family line, paid the ultimate sacrifice for his beliefs while his wife and children fled to England. The French King had cursed Claude's heirs with the name Malfoy – _bad faith_ in French. It was to his roots that he honored above the more recent branches of his Family Tree. They were the ones that he was going to make proud.

Up until the trip to Diagon Alley to get his school supplies, the young Malfoy heir hadn't figured out how fulfill that ambition. Thankfully, Fate had chosen to intervene and he met Harry Potter in Madam Malkin's. The raven haired boy hadn't balked at the family name when Draco introduced himself. Their conversation was superficial at first but after they were done being fitted and the girls had taken their places, the two wizards moved on to Flourish and Blott's. It was there that the overall tone of their dialog changed and the young blonde boy learned some interesting things.

The first thing Harry told him when they were alone was about how their mutual cousin, Sirius Black, was innocent but nothing could be proved until his parents returned or the real traitor was caught. It was information that he later passed on his mother so that Narcissa Malfoy nee Black could reconnect with her older sister Andromeda. For the remainder of their discourse, Draco was told all about the misadventures of the Marauders. Sirius became something akin to a folk hero to the young wizard and it was at that moment that the first part of a plan crystallized in his mind. Somehow, he was going to find a way to get into Hufflepuff to piss his bastard of a father off then he was going to learn as much about muggle stuff as he could before being forced home over the Christmas hols.

Narcissa had sent you son a letter Saturday morning telling him how proud she was that he'd gotten into Hufflepuff and that she'd support him no matter what. Lucius Malfoy had yet to make his opinion known but his mother had made a particular point of describing her husband's ire at the news and how one of the house-elves had taken the brunt of it before he left on a _business_ trip.

He was in the middle of eating when he noticed Harry and company enter the Great Hall. After a quick wave hello, Draco's attention was drawn to the ceiling like everyone else. The postal owls had arrived and he identified the family owl, Zeus, headed toward him with the tell-tale red envelope of a Howler gripped in its talons. The boy laughed at the thought that his sorting had caused the ponce to get so angry that he forgot his precious pureblood dignity to send such a letter. He opened it as soon as it was dropped in front of him with a satisfied smirk.

"YOU UNGRATEFUL WRETCHED BRAT…," could be heard throughout the large room but it was cut off with the scarlet letter went up in a burst of flames due to the spell Professor Sprout shot at it.

"Way to go, Draco," Tracy Davis shouted her support from the Ravenclaw table while the rest of the crew around her gave him a standing ovation.

"Who's that," Susan Bones asked from next to him. She was a strawberry blonde fellow firstie that had been one of the first in their House to give him a chance.

"That's Tracy Davis; she went to muggle school with the Potter's and Daphne Greengrass. Harry told me that her older brother, Roger, was sad that he didn't get to go but their father said it was unbecoming of a wizard of his status to do so," Draco answered then went on to finish the rest of his meal.

"I thought Roger's last name was Davies," one of the older Puffs commented confused.

"It is but their father was a total bastard but I won't get into details because it's their story to tell. The short version is that their father used an old pureblood trick when he filled out her birth certificate. He used the inherent magic of the document as a form of revenge for being forced to recognize her as his child. By misspelling the last name, the Family magic doesn't see her as a member of House Davies but he still retains control over her," Cedric explained and all the purebloods nodded in understanding while the muggleborns continued to look confused until they were told it all had to do with the ancient power of True Names.

Eventually, the Heads of House moved down their corresponding tables and handed out schedules. All of the first years vibrated with excitement at the thought of finally getting to learn magic. The schedules were arranged so that each House had a single class period by themselves in Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and Herbology and then double periods that lasted for two hours they shared with one of the other houses. Astronomy and History of Magic were the only exceptions in that both the single and double periods were shared with all year mates from all the Houses.

The first class that the Ravenclaws had was a single period of Charms with their Head of House. They filed into the classroom and waited for their professor to start class. After the last of the students strolled in and had taken a seat, Professor Flitwick took roll. He didn't even pause when he reached the Potter twins names. From there, the charms teacher gave his students a brief overview of the subject.

"Charms is one of the most useful branches of magic; from basic household tasks all the way to combat situations, it forms the foundation from which you will build your magical repertoire. Even if you do not take this subject until your Mastery, Charms will be the spells you use most often," Flitwick stated as his gaze swept across his young Claws. He smiled briefly when he noted their eyes were bright with the eagerness to learn just like their older House mates.

The most interesting observation he made during that quick glance was that all but four students had their wands on their desks. Of course those particular four had been the two Potter's, Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis.

"Miss Davis, I'm curious to find out why you and your friends do not have your wands out," the professor asked. The question drew the attention of the rest of the class to the quartette.

"We were told that the first few weeks of classes cover mostly theory so wands wouldn't be needed," Tracy replied matter of factly.

"Well you were told correctly, wands will not be necessary for the time being," Flitwick responded then continued when the other children groaned. "I understand that you all want to jump right in and learn spells but you must get a grasp on the theory behind everything first."

The remainder of the class flew by because he had a way of keeping the students' attention. The small wizard kept doing demonstrations of various charms during the introductory lecture. Like with all the Claws that came before them, the Head of House was pleased with the amount of intelligent questions his young charges asked.

The rest of the day's classes were a mixed blessing. Defense against the Dark Arts with Professor Quirell was beyond a joke. The stuttering instructor kept jumping at his own shadow during his introduction but finally gave up and told the class to read the first three chapters of their books. While all the students suffered through the hour, Harry Potter had it worst of all because he scar kept throbbing painfully. As a Type 2 Metamorphmagus, the raven haired boy was used to a certain level of pain as he learned to control his ability but this was far beyond anything he ever experienced before so he silently promised himself to talk it over with Professor Proteus later.

Transfiguration was a double period with the Hufflepuffs. Students had to sit three to a table so Draco Malfoy joined Harry and Terry while Gemini, Tracy and Daphne occupied the one in front of them and Padma Patil, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott sat at the one behind them. Professor McGonagall started the class by turning her desk into a pig before she took roll. From there, she warned them about how dangerous Transfiguration could be and how fooling around in her class wasn't going to be tolerated. A brief lecture over the basics finished off the first hour.

During the second hour everyone grew excited when McGonagall handed out toothpicks and told the class they were going to transform them into needles. Harry was the first one to change his toothpick into a needle, followed shortly by his girls. Draco and Terry's jaws dropped when their companion pulled out a second wand then redid the spell with his off hand.

"Bloody Hell, mate, you've got two wands," Terry said a little too loudly. The class focused on their table and the professor wandered over.

"Why do you have two wands, Mr. Potter? Olivander is not in the habit of selling a second wand to students," Professor McGonagall asked what the others were also curious to know.

"I'm ambidextrous and my Aunt and Uncle thought it would be better to just start out with two wands but I wouldn't know about how Olivander does business as these were custom made," Harry explained then offered the wands up for inspection.

Minerva McGonagall nodded to her raven haired student and then examined the wands. She was unfamiliar with the oddly patterned wood but more than felt the innate magic of their cores. She returned them and continued to check on the progress of the others. The chime went off ending class but most of the students still hadn't managed the transfiguration.

"We shall continue with this in the next class. I would like you all to write two feet of parchment on the theory behind transfiguration which will be due next week," the Deputy Headmistress stated before she dismissed the class to go to lunch.

Harry turned to the Malfoy heir as the group made their way down to the Great Hall.

"Sorry I didn't get to catch up with you this weekend, congratulations of getting into Hufflepuff by the way. You looked rather pleased when you got your dad's Howler this morning," he said to the blonde boy.

"Thanks, it was a bit tense in the Common Room that night but thanks to Tonks and Cedric, the others came around. After we talked in Diagon Alley, I came up with my master plan to stick it to my father by emulating our _vacationing_ cousin. Phase 1 is complete now that I'm a Puff. Phase 2 is going to be tricky because I need to somehow get to Muggle London to buy muggle things," Draco commented as his eyes shown with a mischievous gleam.

"You do know that you don't have to sneak off to London proper, right? Thanks to catalogs and the Internet, you can pretty much buy what anything you want then have it delivered," Terry piped in and Harry face palmed.

"What are catalogs and the Internet," the pureblood boy queried and several conversations stopped around them as some of the other Puffs and Claws wanted to know as well.

"Terry didn't know you were a pureblood, cousin. A catalog is the mundane world's version of Owl Ordering; many businesses have them. The Internet doesn't have a magical equivalent at the moment but some goblins working for Bill Gates are working on that. I have a few catalogs in my dorm so come with us after dinner on Wednesday and you can pick them up before we head out for Double Astronomy," Harry offered the confused boy.

"I didn't know Bill Gates had goblin employees," Terry directed at his dorm mate.

"Who do you think gave him the idea to keep releasing versions of Windows with glitches so he could make more money selling upgrades and patches," said wizard shot back with a smirk.

"Why do you keep saying mundane instead of muggle," Padma Patil interjected as the two Houses worth of firsties neared the Great Hall.

"Because, while it might not be as bad as the other **M** word, muggle is an insult; muggleborn is even worse because it's a lie and _First Generation_ is inaccurate. Magic can't be created so if a child born to mundane parents is magical then a witch or wizard is somewhere in their family tree," Daphne answered for him.

"But what about all that Pureblood Supremacy stuff," somebody else asked.

"Just another lie we're told to justify the bad behavior and insanity of an insignificant portion of our culture," Gemini commented with finality as the two groups broke apart then went to their respective tables.

After lunch, the Ravenclaws made their way to the last class of the day, Double Potions with Slytherin. The first years had already been warned that Professor Snape, their teacher and Head of Slytherin House, was a harsh instructor that favored his Snakes over everyone else. They made their way down into the dungeons and found the first year Snakes already there and looking smug. Daphne latched onto her betrothed and maneuvered him to one of the two person workstations near the front of the class. Tracy and Gemini had taken the very first station and Terry was the odd man out with Padma behind them.

Severus Snape stood in the shadows at the back of the class and was still daydreaming about what he'd done to that Gryffindor girl Friday night as the students started to arrived. Just like he'd taught them, his Snakes came in five minutes early as a group. When the Claws showed up, he waited a few minutes before he shut the door to start class.

This class was a last minute change to the schedule because it had originally been a double period between his Snakes and those moronic Gryffindors. Thankfully, Minerva had requested the change in order to cut down on some of the tension of the long held rivalry between the two Houses. After the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws were usually the most focused of the other Houses when it came to potions because they respected the volatile nature of the discipline. Because of that, he wasn't going to need to go through his usual first class lecture. He closed the door then swept down the center aisle towards his desk.

"You know why you are all here so we shall skip straight to the lesson. The formula for a simple cure for boils is on the blackboard; make it," Snape directed then stood in front of the desk to glare at them.

He watched as students set up their workstations and his initial assessment proved accurate. Outside of Gregory Crabbe and Vincent Goyle – 1st year Slytherins that were denser than rocks – the rest of the students seemed to take the necessary care in their preparations. Professor Snape was shocked when he discovered that not only had the Potter twins and their two friends gotten their supplies situated, they were already in the middle of preparing their ingredients while the rest of the class were just starting to light fires under their cauldrons.

A deeper examination of the four in question showed that their equipment appeared well used. Four small stones had been placed at the compass points of each of the two person stations. But the most startling observation was that where his _Lily_ and the Greengrass girl showed slightly above average skill as they worked, their partners were well above the norm. Tracy Davis went through the process with the fine precision and focus of a true brewer but the Potter brat moved with a casual confidence and skill that were entirely too irksome. Severus was not the only one that noticed this.

"OI, SCARHEAD," young Theodore Nott yelled in an attempt to get Potter to make a mistake but the arrogant brat just smirked as he continued on with his potion.

Not one to be ignored, the Slytherin boy attempted to toss something into Potter's cauldron. A blue light flashed for a second and the projectile was deflected back to its source. It landed in Nott's cauldron before the idiot was able to stop it. It melted down in the resultant explosion and Theodore covered in his yet unfinished potion. Ugly massive boils sprang into existence as the liquid saturated his robes then soaked into the skin. Students started to panic and it was a moment before the potion master regained control of the classroom.

"SILENCE! Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle please take Mr. Nott to the Infirmary; you shall both receive Acceptables for the day," Severus directed. As much as he wanted to lash out and punish the spawn of his old nemesis, the brat had already shown a clear knowledge of the school's charter and most likely would request review. Another course of action occurred to him and with a sneer he rounded on the boy that still continued to work.

"Mr. Potter, what would you get if you added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood," Snape sneered with the belief that the brat wouldn't know the answer.

"As both ingredients are used in various sleeping potions, I'd guess that that specific combination would be need for a more powerful sleeping potion," the arrogant shot back without even looking up.

"BAM," the foolish child yelled as the last ingredient went into his potion. "Sorry, I guess I was channeling my inner Emeril, it won't happen again."

"See to it that it does not. And you were correct, asphodel and wormwood are used to create the Draught of Living Death," Professor Snape responded grudgingly.

He wanted to try another question to trip Potter up but class was nearly over and the Ravenclaw was already taking his cauldron off the fire to cool his potion. Class ended and an enraged potion master was forced to give both Potter and Davis O's for their perfect brews.

_Tuesday_

The second day of classes found Harry and company introduced to the remaining classes on their schedules; Herbology, History of Magic and Astronomy; followed by a Double Period of Charms with the Gryffindors.

Herbology was taught by Professor Sprout, a dumpy witch that smelled perpetually of freshly turned earth. The kindly woman was also the Head of Hufflepuff House. Tracy was totally in her element here, just like in potions but the difference was plants were in her blood. Her grandfather had already started training her in the druidic ways of her ancestors in the Ancient House of Llywelyn.

Daphne was in tears by the time History of Magic ended. The aspiring Curse Breaker had a passion for the subject but the ghostly Professor Binns turned the class into nothing but an hour long nap. She planned on asking her parents for advice about what to do latter that night.

If you asked any of the male students, the highlight of Astronomy was Professor Aurora Sinistra's heavenly body. She was a young twenty-something teacher that had only recently completed her Mastery in the subject. The class itself managed to keep everyone's interest while at the same time being relatively fun.

_Friday_

It was almost like the first day all over again; the firsties veritably buzzed with anticipation. The morning classes seemed to drag by as they all waited for the most important lesson of the day; the flying lesson. Gemini Potter vibrated with the need to get on a broomstick again. Like all Potter's, she and her brother Harry were natural flyers. This familial trait tended to breed Quidditch fanatics. Gemini proudly counted herself among that group; Harry, not so much.

The Slytherins and Gryffindors had their lesson before lunch and the Great Hall was filled with whispers that Sally-Anne Perks from Gryffindor had been made Seeker on the House team after some incident involving a Rememberall. Theodore Nott had been given detention and a lifetime ban from flying for starting said incident. Harry finished eating and was on his way back to the dorm to drop off his books when he saw Nott flanked by Crabbe and Goyle swagger over to the Gryffindor table then stop behind Neville Longbottom.

"You made me get detention you worthless squib and its time everyone realized that your whole Boy-who-lived thing is meaningless. I challenge you to a Wizard's Duel, wands only," the Slytherin ponce hissed.

"I'm his Second so name the time and place ya slimy git," Ron Weasley foolishly accepted for a shocked Neville.

"Crabbe is mine. Meet us in the Trophy Room at midnight," Nott smirked before the three Snakes stalked away.

Harry shook his head in dismay then made a mental note to do something about the arse latter. Then he continued on with his original plan.

The flying lesson was everything Gemini thought it would be and she often noticed the teacher smile and nod. What nobody knew other than the Heads of House was that Madam Hooch, the Flight Instructor, used these classes to scout out potential talent for the Quidditch teams. She relayed the names of the prospects to the Heads who in turn passed them on to the team captains. Gemini, Daphne and Tracy found themselves cornered in the Common Room later that night by the Ravenclaw Captain

who told them to come to try-outs the following week. If they were good enough then they'd be put on the Reserve Team that way they actually had a shot for any open spots next year.

At 11:50 that night, Harry activated the charm on his earring that caused it to act like a two-way radio, slipped on his dad's Invisibility cloak then snuck out of the Ravenclaw Tower. He waited for just minute then when he heard the familiar voice, he slid through the hallways.

"According to the map, it looks like Longbottom, Weasley and Granger are on their way to the Trophy Room. That git, Nott, is in Filch's Office; it looks like you were spot on about his challenge being a trap," Gemini's voice whispered in his ear.

The invisible boy changed course and headed in the direction of the Caretaker's office. Neville and his friends were going to have to take their chances with Filch. Theodore and the squib were standing outside the office door about to go their separate ways when Harry got there. Nott was stupid enough to stand there laughing as Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, went to catch the wayward Gryffindors. The student of sleight-of-hand easily picked the pocket of the foolish Snake's robes and absconded with his wand without getting caught.

The amateur illusionist followed his sister's instructions and swiftly intercepted Filch as he was waylaid by Peeves the Poltergeist. Harry cast a barely audible _**stupefy**_ with his left wand and knocked out Mrs. Norris then dropped Nott's wand before going straight back to his House Tower.

_Saturday_

Harry, Tonks and Professor Proteus were sitting in an unused classroom down the corridor from Common Room. The strongest Privacy Wards had been erected to keep anyone from listening in.

"All right you two, we're going to start your Occlumency lessons. Normally it would take months the traditional way before you reached to point where you could build your mental shields but I'm going to take a page out of Harry's book and use a mundane method that's quicker," Proteus began.

"Now, I want you guys to close your eyes and list to the sound of my voice. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly you will do this a total of five times. With each exhale, you will feel yourself getting more relaxed. After the last breath, I want you to visualize the color red; it can be a mist, some object or just the word for now as long as it's red," she continued.

Professor Proteus continued to lead them through the color scale; orange, yellow, blue, green and violet; then down a mental flight of thirteen steps. Each stage of the way brought the two metamorphmagi deeper into a trance state. She kept them in their hypnotic state for two hours then slowly guided them back to consciousness.

"Okay, I want you both to practice this for twenty minutes in the morning and again before you go to bed. It needs to become second nature to enter that level of trance before we go to the next step. If we're really lucky then we can start organizing your memories by the end of next month. Now, run along to lunch because I believe the first years have a special lecture from their Heads of House

afterward," Gwen Proteus told her charges and Harry thought he saw her lips quirk upward for just an instant when she said the last part.

The first year Ravenclaw boys sat with their Head of House and wondered where the girls were. Before anyone could ask, the professor spoke.

"I can imagine you are wondering about the girls. They are in their dorms getting the same lecture you are," Professor Flitwick stated then launched into his lecture.

The young wizards sat there in embarrassed silence while their Head explained the magical facts of life. He told them how witches and wizards physically and sexually matured faster than their muggle counterparts. About how spending a lot of time in places with a large amount of ambient magic, like Hogwarts, affected their sex drives and why masturbation was essential to the magical and physical health. He finished with a discourse on the mechanics of male/female relations, the hazards of unsafe sex and encouraging them to wait for those specific activities until they were in committed relationships. Filius then sent the boys back to their dorms to _get a handle on things_ as it were.

Prefect Penny Clearwater had just finished giving the lecture to Gemini, Daphne, Tracy and Padma Patil in their dorm room. Their lecture included how to do simple privacy and the contraceptive charms along with a brief dialogue about why girl sex was encouraged. Now the red faced girls sat naked on the beds for the practical demonstration. Penny eased the firsties into learning their bodies and how to touch them before she showed them different masturbation techniques. Just when they started to get comfortable, the older witch stopped them then gently stroked each girl to their first orgasm. She left them to further their explorations because she had another group to give the same lecture to then she'd find her girl sex partner to get some relief of her own.

Despite all the satisfied women, dinner was an awkward affair as the first year boys had no clue how to act around the girls after the lecture. Harry had it worst of all because his mind kept flashing on dirty thoughts about the two very beautiful blondes that were bound to him. He left half way through dinner to try to clear his thoughts.

_Sunday_

_Beauxbatons Academy, France_

"YES, YES," Fleur Delacour screamed as her roommate's skillful tongue lashing on her clit drove her to climax.

Renee Dubrois had been one of the veela's girl sex partners since their first year. Because a high sex drive was part of Fleur's heritage, two other girls shared that distinction but Renee was the best of them. The brunette muggleborn slid up her body then cuddled into her side. The blonde witch gave her partner only a small respite; Fleur grabbed the magical strap-on from the bedside table and buckled it in place. The toy was charmed to stimulate the wearer while she used it. Renee was rolled onto all fours and the veela fucked her hard and fast from behind. The two witches lost count of their orgasms until

they collapsed on the bed sated. The brunette knew better than to offer to return the favor because of the Purity Clause in Fleur's betrothal contract.

An owl's hooting ended their post-coital snuggling. Renee fled to bathroom for a shower before going down to dinner. Fleur saw her familiar, Artemis, had dropped two letters and a shrunken package on her desk. One of the letters and the packager were from Harry and the other letter was from Daphne.

The teenage veela freely admitted she'd been deeply jealous when she learned about having to share her future husband with the Greengrass Heiress but the younger witch surprised her. Daphne had sent Fleur a letter the day after Harry's first one arrived. The other girl wrote her about the witch's dreams and ambitions. The two shared a passion for history and wanted to be Curse Breakers when they got out of school. But what impressed Fleur was the promise Daphne made her not to do anything inappropriate with Harry until he was ready and the three of them were together. The two witches wrote each other almost every day until school started.

The blonde teen opened Harry's letter first.

_Dear Fleur,_

_I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do it but I couldn't stop myself. Please forgive me but I couldn't get the thoughts of you or Daphne out of my head. The package contains three dozen brownies I made for you; a dozen milk chocolate, a dozen milk chocolate with butterscotch chips and a dozen dark chocolate with chili topped with a sprinkle of course salt. I won't do it again just please, please, please forgive me._

_Your unworthy betrothed,_

_Harry_

Confused, the veela opened Daphne's letter with a sense of dread. Fleur laughed then relaxed as her future sister-wife explained how all the first years had been given the Talk and Harry fleeing dinner later that night. He later begged her forgiveness but wouldn't say why he wanted it. She eventually forced it out of him and found out Harry had some very dirty thoughts about his two fiancées. The rest of Daphne's letter was about her reaction to the Talk and asking advice about whether or not she should find a girl sex partner.

Fleur wrote a reply to the younger witch first. She recommended finding a partner but only after she was comfortable with her sexuality first. Then she explained her reactions from when she'd received the Talk and about how being a veela added its own quirks to the mix. On a separate sheet of parchment she told Daphne about her first week back at school and asked about what Hogwarts was like so far.

The answer to Harry's letter was much shorter but very naughty.

_Dearest Harry,_

_You have nothing to feel guilty about. In fact, it pleases me that you have such thoughts about me. I can't wait until we are together and make them a reality. I ache for us to be in bed; Daphne and I kissing, licking and caressing your body before you plunge into me and make me a woman… your woman as she watches. Then watching as you take her; our sweat sheened bodies entwined as we drift off to sleep._

_Pleasant dreams,_

_Fleur_

**AN2: You will notice that Fleur's dialog isn't written with an accent, that's because she's in France speaking her native tongue. I won't do the accent until she's speaking English.**

**The map that Gemini used is not the same one Fred and George have; the difference between them will be explained within the next couple of chapters.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Unchained**

**AN: This is just a filler chapter but it will have repercussions on later parts of the story. I'm going on vacation this weekend so I might not get the chance to update next week.**

Ch. 4: Oh, the Times, they are a Changin'

_Still Sunday_

_Large unused classroom, Hogwarts_

Sunday was the customary day for the Headmaster's weekly staff meets and the first such meeting after the start of term was the busiest of them. Normally, it was used by the staff to give brief evaluations of the first year students as well and review teaching plans for the OWL and NEWT classes. This year had proven to be a deviation from the norm because it was being held in conjunction with an emergency session of the Board of Governors.

The room had been cleaned up and a large table dominated the floor space that allowed for each staff member and governor to have their own seat. At the head of the table the Headmaster sat in the chair usually reserved for his Second but the Deputy Headmistress currently occupied the main chair. There was one lone chair off in a corner that was occupied by a first year Slytherin student. When the appointed time struck, she stood from her borrowed chair.

"Before this meeting can begin, we must first deal with the Disciplinary Hearing of Theodore Nott; a first year student of Slytherin House," Professor McGonagall stated the motioned for said student to rise and step forward. To his credit, he managed to do so without showing any trace of fear.

"The primary charges against Mr. Nott are as follows: violating curfew, providing false witness with malicious intent and stunning the caretaker's pet kneazle. After a revealing charm was done upon his wand, a secondary charge of use of Dark curses has been added," she finished while she glared at the boy.

Professor Flitwick stood on his so that he could be seen by all then interjected, "Minerva, the second and third primary charges must be amended."

"And why is that, Filius," Minerva queried.

"Harry Potter has admitted to stunning Mrs. Norris and leaving the Mr. Nott's wand near the scene. He told me that while leaving dinner of Friday, he'd overheard our young Slytherin here challenge another first year to a midnight duel. Under normal circumstances, he would have reported it to a teacher but the challenge fell outside of the School's brief because the boy that was challenged was Neville Longbottom. It was then pointed out to me that as an heir to one of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses, any challenges given to Mr. Longbottom fall under the purview of the Duelist's Guild in accordance to the Old Laws.

"It was only later that Mr. Potter suspected that the challenge was a trap. He guessed that Nott would go to Filch and headed in that direction. When he arrived, he found the two outside Filch's office. They went their separate ways but Mr. Nott dropped his wand. Potter picked it up then followed the caretaker and we know what happened next. Mr. Potter has taken full responsibility for his actions."

"There, Potter was responsible which makes young Nott innocent. I move that all charges against him be dismissed so that we can get on with business," Lucius Malfoy piped up from his seat while the younger Slytherin wore a smug smile.

"Mr. Potter's admission does not negate the fact the Mr. Nott was out past curfew or that he cast Dark curses on school grounds. However, there is one other fact that works to his favor; Madam Pomphrey has not reported anyone suffering from those curses. For those reasons, Mr. Nott shall have a month added to his detention and submit his wand for inspection at random intervals," the Deputy Headmistress pronounced amidst protests from Professor Snape and several of the governors.

"THAT'S NOT FAIR, WHAT OF POTTER'S PUNISHMENT," the potions master and elder Malfoy yelled simultaneously.

"I have already dealt with Mr. Potter; he is confined to Ravenclaw Tower when not in classes or at meals, banned from the library for a month and will be serving a detention with the caretaker. He also had a prized possession confiscated until the end of the year. Now, be quiet or I can render the Guild's judgment as well. At the moment, I'm willing to chalk Mr. Nott's cowardly actions as a youthful indiscretion and leave it that," Flitwick commented after McGonagall used her wand to make a loud bang to restore order.

Both men quickly sat down, pale faced, because they realized that if the Old Laws were enforced then loss of his wand hand was the least the foolish boy could expect. Theodore Nott was dismissed and he fled back to the Slytherin dorms. His mind raced with thoughts of revenge against Potter and Longbottom but he knew any plot wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Once the young Slytherin was gone, all eyes locked on Professor McGonagall. She called out to a house-elf that popped then gave her a satchel then popped out while she removed a thick book from it. The tome was covered in red leather with gold accents and looked new; no title could be seen. She placed it on the table in front of her and kept her wand hand on the cover.

"After the Start of Term feast, the Headmaster and four Heads of House had the pleasure of meeting with the Potter twins. During the course of discussion, Mr. Potter brought up a couple of issues that involved the Hogwarts Charter. As you all know, new teachers are given an abridged version when they are hired to familiarize themselves with the most relevant rules and guidelines and with the understanding that said books would self-update with any additions or changes. Unfortunately, there have not been any such updates in almost twenty years. Mr. Potter's comments troubled me so I went to the library for a complete version of the Charter.

"I found it after over a maddening hour of searching; imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was hidden behind notice-me-not and repelling charms. Needless to say that only further sparked my curiosity. When I returned to my quarters with it, I found myself frustrated again because it was written entirely in Middle English. After a standard translation spell it was still unreadable and I sought help from our resident Charms Master. Professor Flitwick consulted one of his contacts then provided me with a charm that further translated the legal gobbledygook into plain English. The result is this volume in front of me," Minerva opened then glanced over to Dumbledore and saw his eyes widen almost imperceptibly.

"With a now understandable translation, I used every free moment to read it from cover to cover. Let me tell you now, in addition to needing a complete revision, I was shocked and appalled at what I learned because we are guilty of literally hundreds of violations. So for now, we are going to ignore many of them. The reason for this is because I am appointing Professors Sinistra, Vector, Babbling and Burbage to the task of revising it. You four shall each receive a copy of the translated Charter and will meet with me after the Sunday staff meetings to discuss your progress. At the end of the school year, the finished product will be presented to the staff and Board of Governors.

"Moving on, let us start with an issue directly related to the Board. According to the Charter, the board was established after the last of the Founders passed away as an advisory committee to the Headmaster. They were given the power to change policy and terminate anyone on staff with a unanimous vote and the support of three of the four Heads of House. Being appointed to the Board was considered an honor and the duties of the Governors performed for _gratis_ – as in without any type of pay. That is where the problem lies."

All but one of the governors visibly paled at that pronouncement; the elderly witch in question adopted a predatory smirk at their discomfort. McGonagall then pulled a thick folder out of her satchel and opened it. After she examined the top sheet of parchment for several seconds, she continued speaking.

"Twenty years ago, with the exception of the Dowager Lady Longbottom, this Board illegally voted to give themselves a stipend for their services. These funds were originally taken from the new broom fund. Later, they were diverted from the portion of the School's budget that was allotted for hiring teaching assistants and pay increases for the existing staff. Gringott's has graciously provided us with this list of when the funds were taken from the Hogwart's accounts and how much went to each member of the Board.

"I realize that this could only have happened with the tacit blessing of our Headmaster so he must accept some of the responsibility as well. Because the school has recently received an endowment from something called the Grim Foundation for new brooms, I have asked the goblins to only retrieve the funds that came directly from the School budget – with interest, of course. They have also come up with a list of repayment options which I will be handing out now."

Minerva handed sheets to Dumbledore and the wizards of the Board. Meanwhile, Augusta Longbottom's predatory smile gave way to gales of laughter. The men looked at their sheets and broke out into a cold sweat; Albus Dumbledore more so than the others because his parchment included the school discretionary account that he'd bled dry. Part of those galleons went to fund the war effort but the majority of it had been used to finance plans for his Greater Good. Once he finished repaying everything, his family vault was going to be empty and the Grindlewald vault left with only 50,000 galleons. The latter he'd inherited by conquest after defeating his former lover.

One governor in particular was in a near panic as he read the document before him. Lucius Malfoy was not a stupid man by any stretch of the imagination; he knew this was the only chance that he and his fellows had to avoid a scandal. The crux of his problem was not that he had to pay back what he'd embezzled but what his father before had too. Any other day that would be a trivial concern because he'd just take the money from the Black Family vaults but he'd just found out this morning that there was a new Black proxy and his access to those accounts had been frozen. There was a good chance he would be forced to pay back the funds he misappropriated from there as well. Lucius realized that he was about to lose a sizable chunk of his power and influence in one fell swoop. His panic subsided when an errant thought struck him. The elder Malfoy still held the Lestrange proxy and if he gave over their Family and personal vaults that would leave him free and clear with his own fortune intact.

Professor Minerva McGonagall repressed as victorious smirk as she watched the thieving blackguards wilt under the glares of righteous anger from the staff. Each of the offending wizards grabbed a quill, wrote down their preferred option then signed and passed their parchments back to the Deputy Headmistress. She waited a bit for the heated murmuring around the table to die then moved on with her agenda.

"With that taken care of, the next set of problems that I want to address are academic. The packet of documents that I will be handing out will show you how far we have fallen as an educational institution. (She paused just long enough to pass out the packets.)

"The first several pages are class lists. Using 1900 as a starting point, I compiled every course Hogwarts has ever offered. The date to the right of a class indicates when the subject was dropped from the curriculum. In 1900, you will notice that the school offered over one hundred subjects from the general courses through advanced Mastery and specialty courses for various professions. With each new Headmaster/mistress that assumed their post, they started to drop subjects until we come to eleven subjects offered today.

"My next step was to review a current NEWT level text book with one from the past. Naturally, I started with my own subject of Transfiguration. For an exemplar, I used the book from my seventh year and the results mind boggling. The two volumes were radically different in that the currently approved textbook lacked the quality of content of the older book. Further analysis showed that what we teach now to the seventh years is what my generation learned in our third. This led me to a study of OWL and NEWT scores over the same period of time.

"You can skip to the last page of your packets. One of my first year Lions, Miss Granger, helped correlate all of the data into the charts and graphs you see there…," McGonagall continued her presentation but Dumbledore stood up from his seat.

"THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH," the Headmaster bellowed then went on in a more normal tone. "Minerva, you have overstepped your authority and I cannot let this continue."

The recently chastised and shamed members of the Board of Governors sat up straighter and waited for the upstart witch to be put in her place. Everyone's jaws dropped in shock as the elderly Scots woman smacked Albus while her aura flared.

"Do. Not. Even. Attempt. To. Reprimand. Me," the irate Transfiguration teacher declared and accented each word with a poke to Dumbledore's chest.

"It was your own actions that brought this about, Albus. If you had been more concerned about the day to day running of the school instead of focusing your attention on politics then you might be right. But each year you kept pushing off more of your duties onto me and the few times I came to you with some administrative problem you told me to handle it. I've handled the hiring of the new Defense teacher every year. I've been the one that moved things around in the budget so that we had enough food to feed everyone and made sure that the staff was paid. I was the one to coordinate staff meetings and handled disputes between teachers and Houses.

"It was me that went to every Board meeting with hat in hand begging for an increase in the budget so we could keep the doors open only to be denied while they lined their pockets without offering any solutions to our problems. The only time you took an interest in anything was whenever I tried to discipline any of the Slytherin students or Professor Snape. According to our convoluted Charter, which I am intimately familiar with now, by passing your duties off to me you made me the Headmistress in everything but name. The only things you still control are the wards. In other words, you have made yourself little more than a figurehead.

"Professors Sprout and Flitwick have met with me in private and we ultimately decided not to call for a vote to replace you at this time. Instead, we are giving you two years to disentangle yourself from your other positions and become the Headmaster you should've been. Unless you wish to tender your resignation at the end of the term, but I hope you will choose to stay."

The room fell silent and Albus Dumbledore dropped back down into his chair as the full weight of this new information hit them full force. Minerva hated how that had come out because she wanted to talk to him about it in private. She watched her one time mentor turned friend twinkle in his eyes dimmed minutely. He looked like the ancient man he was instead of the great hero he'd always to her.

Dumbledore retreated into his mind as sat and tried to figure out where things had gotten out of his control. The desire to lay the blame on Harry Potter flared but was soon replaced with over twenty years worth of plotting. None of his plans would be affected if actually resigned from his positions in the ICW and the UEC; besides, they were never going to find anyone that could replace him and would be so consumed with internal power struggles that his Endgame would never be noticed. It would be his seat as Chief Warlock that posed any difficulties but he should be able to have an "advisory" position created for himself and a loyal minion appointed to lead the Wizengamut. He adopted his most grandfatherly expression then looked at his Deputy Headmistress.

"Alas, I fear that you are correct Minerva. I have allowed myself to be distracted by the demands of government. Perhaps it is time to allow others to lead and return to what I love most; the shaping of young minds. I will accept your two year deadline," Albus said contritely.

McGonagall nodded then returned her attention to the table at large. She let out a sigh then commented, "Where were we? Oh yes, the graphs and charts."

"As I was about to say, you can see that test scores started out in a slow but steady decline but then started to drastically plummet since the end of the war. Those low scores have created a severe shortage of qualified Healers, Aurors and many Ministry jobs."

"Minerva, if I may make a suggestion? You have done a very good job compiling this research but there are just too many problems for us to find solutions today. Since we've already addressed the… _budget issues_ then perhaps we can postpone the academic issues until after your committee is done with their revised charter. You do not want to be guilty of dividing your attention between too many projects like I did. In the mean time, let us look into hiring those assistants and perhaps some new brooms," the Headmaster offered up for consideration and had put a small bit of his magic into this voice to make her want to agree. At first, he thought that he'd succeeded but his hopes were dashed.

"Perhaps but I think we should just push through the rest of the information," she retorted then pulled some thinner packets of parchment and made sure everyone received one.

"This next packet is supplemental to the previous one. It contains the ICW educational guidelines for magical schools. The ultimate goal we need to accomplish is to bring Hogwarts those standards. Albus is correct about not being able to solve everything today but I want to reconvene at the start of the Christmas break. This will give members of the Board as well as the staff time to review both packets so you can offer up suggestions for courses to add or subtract from the curriculum. Professors will also be given until the end of the school year to make suggestions for new textbooks on their subjects.

"I would like to thank the Board of Governors for assembling on such short notice but knew you that you would want to know everything I discovered. After all, our children's future is your primary concern. I look forward to a closer relationship with you all in the future. You are more than welcome to stay for the staff meeting if you like, if not then we shall see you in December," Minerva explained but everyone heard the sarcasm during the last part.

Augusta Longbottom's laughter echoed off the walls while she watched as Lucius Malfoy and her other fellow governors nearly ran from the room. She was shaking her head as she followed them out. It was fifteen minutes before the meeting continued and it ran along the familiar lines of years past. The house-elves provided lunch and they ate as they worked.

The instructors of the elective subjects went first. Each got up in and talked about how the third years handled the first classes in their new subjects then moved on to concerns and observations on the returning students. They were then dismissed and the members of the Charter Committee picked up their copies from the Deputy Headmistress on their way out. Madam Pince – the librarian, Madam Pomphrey – the mediwitch and Hagrid soon followed them. Dumbledore listened to the four Heads of House as they talked about how their first years were settling in and nodded sagely.

"I'm glad to hear our newest students are not having too many problems but I would like to know your impression of our three _Special Cases_; Mr. Longbottom and the Potter twins," the great manipulator quipped then waited expectantly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Unchained**

Ch. 5: Three Days in October

The month of September flew by at Hogwarts but by the 30th, homesickness had set in for firsties. Harry had had a major episode last night and overslept as a result. As he made is way down to catch the end of breakfast, most of the younger Slytherins that exited the Great Hall when he arrived gave him what they thought of as death glares; but strangely enough, their fifth, sixth and seventh year House mates nodded respectfully to the Ravenclaw. While the students in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were confused by this, the Claws understood the dichotomy.

News of Theodore Nott's extra punishments and the reasons for them had made it to the school's rumor mill within minutes of the Board members departure that fateful Sunday. Ironically, it was their fault for the leak because the Portraits had heard a few of them talking about it. Needless to say the youngest Snakes were angry that Nott made their House look like incompetent fools but the oldest appreciated the cunning that went into Potter's plan. The only thing that would've earned more of their respect was if the boy in question hadn't turned himself in.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT," Ron Weasley demanded the next day.

"It was the right thing to do," Harry lied as the memory of what actually happened flashed through his mind.

_***Flashback***_

It was well after midnight when the door to the Ravenclaw Tower Common Room for apparently no reason. Breathing a sigh of relief that the room was empty, a raven haired boy removed his invisibility cloak then made his way toward the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

"That is quite an interesting piece of haberdashery, Mr. Potter," a familiar voice spoke from behind him. The boy spun around and looked down into the eyes of his Head of House, Filius Flitwick.

"I think we should continue this somewhere more private," the professor continued before the boy could say anything then guided the younger wizard toward his personal quarters at the top of the tower.

Harry Potter sat down nervously in the chair his Head indicated and waited for the Inquisition. He was mentally kicking himself for not checking out the whole room before he'd taken on off the cloak. The fun-sized professor left him to stew in his thoughts for a minute then disappeared into the small kitchenette. He returned with a steaming pot tea and offered his student one. The two sipped their drinks and Harry wondered when the hammer was going to fall.

"Before you tell me your story, I should tell you that there are charms upon the tower, library and kitchen doors that are active from curfew to dawn that alert me if any of my Claws decided to sneak out," Flitwick explained then watched as the boy across from him processed the new information. He saw the calculation behind the Potter heir's eyes as the intelligent child filtered through various stories before he finally sighed in resignation.

"Professor, at dinner I overheard Nott challenge Neville Longbottom to a midnight duel," Harry began then went on to tell his Head everything that happened from the time he snuck out… well almost everything because he omitted his charmed earring, his sister's involvement or the Map. Filius, in the meantime, nodded in the appropriate places as his expression grew darker.

"Mr. Potter, while I commend your desire to help Mr. Longbottom, you should have come straight to me. Before I hand out your punishment, I want to know why you took such a risk," Flitwick commented seriously.

"Sir, between his grandmother and the Headmaster poor Nev never had a chance. She wants him to be a clone of his father and Dumbledore wants him to be his poster child and weapon to use if/when Voldemort returns. Longbottom never had a chance just to be a normal kid and he lacks any confidence to stand up for himself. It was only a stroke of luck that I wasn't named the Boy-who-lived and ended up a pawn. If I can help Neville out from the shadows until he finds his confidence, then I will," Harry answered honestly and a trace of steel resolve.

Professor Flitwick felt a spark of admiration towards the son of one of his favorite students and soon rendered his judgment. "Very well, I think your punishment should be…"

_***End Flashback***_

_Tuesday, October 3__rd_

Harry had overslept and rushed down to the Great Hall to get some breakfast. Daph, Tracy, Gem and Terry were almost done eating by the time he arrived but he paused just inside the door. His gaze was drawn to cousins, Nymphadora Tonks; the older metamorphmagus had been distracted during their session with Professor Proteus this past Saturday and hadn't been able to start organizing her thoughts. If anything, it looked as if Tonk's mood had gotten worse. Understandably concerned, he bypassed his own table then sat down next to the older witch.

"Wotcher Harry," the pink haired metamorph said half-heartedly when he plopped down next to her and started to load up a plate.

"Hey Tonks," Harry replied then continued seriously, "What's wrong, I'm worried about you?"

"I got a letter from Charlie Weasley. He hasn't contacted since he graduated last year and now he wants me to go to Romania to visit him during the Christmas break. He was my first love and it nearly killed me when he ran off to wrangle dragons without talking to me first or even saying goodbye. Now, he wants to pretend nothing's changed and went as far as to make suggestions about different _modifications_ I could adopt to make our reunion even better. Sometimes he can be a total prat but this is the first time he acted like every other arse that tried to get into my pants," Tonks explained softly after she'd blown out a long breath.

Harry was pissed to say the least. If there was one thing that was drilled into his head from the time he could understand, it was the fact that the bigoted minority thought of metamorphmagi were subhuman and little better than sex toys. That was one of the reasons his conditions was kept secret; not that it mattered because he was the heir to a Most Ancient and Most Noble House and by their own pureblood traditions he was above them in the social hierarchy no matter what. At that moment all he wanted to do was kick the older boy's arse then rip his head off and shite down his neck. Nobody messed with his family.

Tonks must've realized where his thoughts were headed because she changed the subject and asked him about his classes. The younger metamorphmagus obviously wasn't fooled by the attempt but let it slide and indulged his pink haired cousin. They spent the last half-hour of breakfast reviewing their Occlumency lessons.

The morning's classes passed in a haze as the male Potter breezed through them on autopilot. Even the teachers noticed that while he performed just shy of his usual standards, he was obviously distracted by something. When they questioned Gemini and the girls the teachers were informed gently but firmly that it was a family matter. By the time lunch had arrived, Harry knew just what to do to help cheer Tonks up; he just needed to skeeve off his afternoon classes to do it. The only problem was doing it without getting into trouble.

There was only one answer for the problem so the raven haired boy broke away from his friends as they made their way down to the Great Hall and headed toward where he knew the Staff Room was. It normally took the students about fifteen minutes after class for the majority of them to make it to meals. During that time, the professors and faculty usually gathered in the Staff Room for a few minutes to decompress before they joined their charges. Harry arrived at his destination and found that Professor's Flitwick and Sprout were the first teachers there.

"Sir, I was wondering if you could excuse me from afternoon classes," he asked his Head of House.

"And why should I do that Mr. Potter," Flitwick replied curiously. Many of his older Claws made similar requested but it was so they could do some research in the library. The first years never needed such consideration.

"Well, you see, Tonks got a letter over the weekend from her ex-boyfriend that's made her depressed ever since and I wanted to make some of her favorite dishes to help cheer her up," Harry answered truthfully and the two instructors shared a significant look.

"Potter, while I appreciate that you want to do something nice for one of my Badgers but I doubt the house-elves will let you do anything in the school's kitchens," Sprout commented with just a hint of amusement.

"Why would I want to use the school's kitchens when they don't have even a quarter of what I need," the Claw shot back with an arched eyebrow.

"Are you honestly suggesting that we let you floo to your guardians' house to execute your plans," Flitwick mused incredulously.

"Not at all, I have everything I need but it might be easier just to show you," the youthful wizard replied then turned and headed out of the door. The two teachers shrugged and trailed after the retreating boy.

The trio entered the Ravenclaw Tower then went up to the dorms. Harry opened the door to the room that he shared with Terry Boot. He ran over to his trunk, opened it and then removed an ornate rectangular box. The teachers watched as the boy as he tapped the box with his wand and it grew in size to six feet in height. The ornate box turned out to be an old muggle version of a Vanishing Cabinet. It was a deep glossy blue with bronze inlays along the borders.

_It seems he always knew that he was going to be in my House_ – Flitwick mentally chuckled as the boy in question turned the cabinet three times clockwise then pressed on a section of the inlay. Harry opened the door to his baby then climbed the down the stairs where the floor normally was. His teachers stared for a moment in shock then soon followed him.

The stairway opened up into what looked like an American ranch style home. The front portion was an open floor plan; on their left was a dining area and professional chef's quality kitchen with all the top of the line appliances while a living area with comfortable seating and the high end entertainment center. There was a hall at the far end of the room with two doors on either side of it and a single door at the very end.

"The first door on the right side of the hallway is the guest half-bathroom and the library is across from it the next two doors are Tracy and Gemini's bedrooms respectively and the last door is the Master Bedroom. Our Aunt and Uncle have the doors warded so we can't use them until we are _older and preferably graduated_. Each of bedrooms has its own en suite.

"You will also notice two doors in the kitchen. The one next to refrigerator leads to the fully stocked pantry; everything perishable is under stasis charms. The door next to the counter goes down to the hydroponic greenhouse and potions lab," the green eyed wizard explained to the two elder teachers.

Mr. Potter, this is simply amazing. I thought it was impossible for muggle technology to work in areas where there are large concentrations of magic," Professor Flitwick breathed in awe while his colleague stared longingly at the door that went to the greenhouse.

"You're right, magic and technology don't mix; what you see here are examples of Technomancy. Contrary to what mundane authors like to write, it's not the art of fusing magic and technology but using magic to imitate mundane technology so that we can blend in easier. That thing that looks like a large screen television is actually a magic mirror and the DVD player is simply a modified pensive; the discs for it are memories of somebody that watched the movie. Even the lighting is nothing more than modified charms. I think I have a copy of Introduction to Technomancy in the library," Harry continued to inform his current companions then gave a smile and nod to Sprout who bolted for the greenhouse like a schoolgirl several years her junior.

"I would very much like to peruse that book Mr. Potter. If you would be kind enough to allow me to borrow it and perhaps sample some of food you intend to make then I believe I can be persuaded to write you a note for your afternoon classes. By the way, how did you know how to cook," the Head of Ravenclaw commented and his lead him into the library.

"My Uncle spent two years in a French Culinary school after he graduated Hogwarts so that he could get a job to pay for Law School. He thought Gem and I should be self sufficient and taught us everything he learned. Unfortunately, my twin is absolutely useless in the kitchen; she actually managed to melt a pot while trying to boil water. I found that I liked cooking and I often help when Uncle caters some of the neighborhood parties," Potter explained as he handed the technomancy book to his Head.

Professor Sprout joined them in the library a few minutes later and she was gushing about some of the plants she'd seen. The younger wizard quickly agreed to let her have a cutting from one of the rare Moon Lilies that were his mother's favorite then the trio returned to his dorm. The teachers left with their book and plant respectively and the raven haired boy returned to the cabinet.

It always brought a smile to his lips because it was the only extravagance he ever allowed himself. Much like the electric chairs, Harry picked up the Vanishing Cabinet at an estate sale of an old mundane stage magician. He'd taken it to a trunk shop in Diagon Alley to have it restored then enchanted similar to a multi-compartment trunk. It had taken over half of yearly allowance from his trust vault to do it but he wanted it and it suited his style. Aunt Andi had almost had a melt down when he'd done it but Uncle Ted pointed out that it was a onetime deal. She relented once he agreed to let her do the interior design.

The students and staff had assembled in the Great Hall for dinner; Gemini, Daphne, Tracy and Terry had received notes from Harry and were at the Hufflepuff table with Tonks and Draco. Just as the Headmaster raised his hands, a signal for the house-elves to make food to appear, the missing Potter came through the doors trailed by his own group of house-elves. Each of the small servants carried a tray weighed down with food. The smells wafted throughout the Hall and made everyone's mouths water.

"Hey Tonksie, I thought this might cheer you up a bit," Harry called out and the elves started to drop their trays onto the table.

Tonks' eyes widened as she saw dishes full of Curried lamb, chicken and shrimp; tandoori rice; Moroccan mrouzia, almond briouats, chickpeas in tomato sauce and lamb and eggplant tagine. He directed a few of the elves to take a tray up to the Head table for the staff. Padma and Parvati Patil wandered over from the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables respectively to get in on some of the tastes of their native India. Flitwick and Sprout were just as eager as the small group of students as they dug into the unusual fare.

"I haven't had a good curry in ages," the pink haired Tonks declared in between bites of the spicy Indian dishes. The rest of the _Potter Girls_ nodded in agreement. The four witches missed their weekly curry and movie nights before school started. If they were lucky then they might get to carry on the tradition here now.

"Mr. Potter, you are quite the chef," Sprout commented while McGonagall, Sinistra, Vector and Burbage caved in and helped themselves. They too offered their praises to the young cook.

"HARRY MADE ALL OF THIS," the Patil twins exclaimed together and several of the older girls gave calculated looks to the first year wizard.

After dinner, the older Ravenclaws weren't surprised when they were joined in their Common Room by two Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindor sister of one of their own. What was unexpected was the odd cabinet that was standing off in a corner of the room. Professor Flitwick followed all of the students into the tower and had an impromptu House meeting. After all of the Ravenclaws swore not to tell anybody else about the cabinet, Harry opened its door and headed down with his family and friends. Eventually the remaining students followed their fellows. More than a few purebloods were introduced to the magical version of muggle movies.

What everyone received was permission to use Harry's library during certain hours as long as the raven haired boy was present. Flitwick added stipulations such as a Prefect had to be present so that no couples could be alone.

_Friday, October 13__th_

Breakfast turned into a strange occurrence when several of the castle ghosts preceded Draco Malfoy into the Great Hall. His normal school robe was replaced by a simple white cloak with a red cross that dominated the left breast. He sat down at the Hufflepuff table picked up a goblet of pumpkin juice, lifted it to the ghosts in a toast.

"To the Honored Dead," he intoned solemnly then took a drink. The majority of the students looked confused by the young man's action except for the Potter heir.

"May their legacy never be forgotten," Harry added as he nodded to his friend and cousin. Draco had been a regular fixture in the Ravenclaw Tower for the past week to get and the two had grown even closer. The green eyed boy had been helping him come up with ideas to use technomancy to annoy his father.

"Twenty points from Hufflepuff for being out of uniform Mr. Malfoy," Professor Snape drawled to his disappointment of a godson.

"Professor, Draco is just paying homage to the men who died so his ancestor could eventually flee to England. Malfoy means bad faith in French and it was given to that ancestor when he refused to betray his brethren, the Knights Templar, to the French King. That same King ordered the arrest of every Templar in France on this very day. Many good and honorable men lost their lives due to the greed of Phillip the Fair. There were more than a few wizards that had been part of the Order and died while being burned at the stake. Don't you think you should award him points for his actions instead of taking them away," Harry piped up from the Ravenclaw table and he notices a few of the teachers nod in agreement.

"No Mr. Potter, the uniform guidelines are very specific; and that will be forty points from Ravenclaw for your cheek," the greasy haired potions master spat while many students grumbled in protest.

"I return those points and award Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff an additional twenty points each for reminding us all of the importance of remembering our history," McGonagall stated from her place at the Head table.

Snape glared at her but said nothing because the Deputy Headmistress was paying more attention to complaints against the staff then she had in the past. He couldn't wait until his Master let him kill the obnoxious battleaxe.

_Tuesday, October 31__st_

The castle buzzed with the excitement of the students as rumors of what was planned for the Halloween Feast made the rounds. A group of third years had been walking by when some of the teachers were decorating the Great Hall so everyone knew at least that much. The firsties all wondered what kinds of food would be served while the older students debated the truth of the story that Professor Dumbledore hired a group of skeletal musicians and acrobats to perform. As a result of the near constantly distracted children the teachers – with the sole exception of Prof. Snape – decided to take it easy on their classes.

Only after the Charms class that the Ravenclaws had with the Gryffindors had the most notable thing during the day happened; pint-sized Prof. Flitwick had had the class working on the Levitation charm for the period. Ron Weasley had been having difficulty with the spell and reacted badly when his Housemate, Hermione Granger, tried to offer some pointers. He became embarrassed so he told the witch to do it herself if she was so smart; which she proceeded to do, much to his increasing chagrin. Ron made some nasty comments about her after class let out that Hermione overheard. She rushed off, teary eyed but the foolish boy showed no remorse. Needless to say, Gemini and Tracy had taken great pleasure in beating the lesson into the ginger haired prat to everyone else's enjoyment.

Harry had just sat down to dinner when he looked over at the Gryffindor table and noticed that the bushy haired witch wasn't there. When he mentioned it to the table at large, Padma Patil explained that her twin, Parvati, had told her that Hermione was so upset that she'd spent the whole afternoon crying in the second floor girls' bathroom. The raven haired wizard suggested that some of the girls go check on her in a few minutes. They agreed but the plan was scrapped when Professor Quirrell rushed into the Great Hall and screamed about a troll being in the dungeons before he fainted. Pandemonium ensued and some semblance of order wasn't achieved until after the Headmaster made three loud bangs come from his wand.

"Prefects please escort your Houses to their Common Rooms while the teachers deal with the threat," Dumbledore instructed.

Harry was about to say something about the proximity of the Hufflepuff and Slytherin dorms to the supposed location of the troll but shrugged instead. He figured that the Prefects of those Houses would just take their students up to the library until the danger had passed. The Puffs were the first ones out of the Hall and appeared to be headed in the direction of the library. The Claws had gotten stuck behind the Lions which left the Snakes to bring up the rear. Thanks to the positioning, the Potter gang noticed when Neville and Ron broke away from their fellow Gryffindors.

While Prefect Penelope Clearwater marched the Claws back to their tower, Gemini pulled out a folded bit of blank parchment and muttered something under her breath as she tapped it with her wand. A map bloomed and the witch watched it with an intense interest. She stifled a gasp when they were nearing the door to the tower.

"Harry, the troll is going into the bathroom Hermione was hiding out in and Tweedle Dumb and the Cowardly Lion are right behind the brute," Gemini hissed softly but urgently.

"Go find Prof. Flitwick and tell him what's going on and I'll try to think of something to help the others until he arrives," her brother called over his shoulder as he rushed off.

The red haired witch focused on the map once more then found the Head's location. She, Daphne and Tracy ran as fast as they could to the library where the map showed Flitwick checking on the Puffs and Snakes. Filius Flitwick was shocked when he heard a frantic voice yell, "PROFESSOR!", and was nearly bowled over by three of his first years.

"Hermione… Neville… Ron… troll… Harry… went… help," Gemini Potter gasped out as she thrust a bit of parchment at him.

The Charms teacher almost dropped the parchment when he noticed it was a map of the school with moving dots that were labeled with people's names. He pushed any questions from his mind when his eyes found what the panting girl had tried to explain. He ran toward the second floor girls' lavatory as fast as his small legs were able to carry him.

Harry slipped into the bathroom without anyone but Hermione noticing his presence. The troll was too busy dealing with Nev and Ron. The ginger haired prat responsible for the current mess was trying to cast the Levitation charm but his wand motions were too exaggerated. The Ravenclaw boy decided to help him out by casting it himself on the troll's club then dropping it on the behemoth's head. Potter then gave the Gryffindor girl a wink before he slid back out the door and into the path of his Head of House.

Flitwick pressed a finger to his lips for silenced then motioned the young wizard to hide in the shadows. Less than a minute later, Professors McGonagall, Quirrell and Snape appeared in the hallway and disappeared into the girls' bathroom. Once the coast was clear the half-goblin ushered his student back to the Ravenclaw Tower by a circuitous route because he wanted his questions about the curious map in his hands answered. He stopped, stared at it in and just about dropped it again when the map changed its orientation. It now showed the hallway outside the kitchens along with a blazing red dot with a name that shouldn't have been there. The first year glanced down at the map then gave a snort.

"It looks like the Rat has decided to use the confusion to sneak out of his hiding spot to get a snack," Harry said with a smirk as both of his wands found their way into his eager hands. He bolted for the kitchens with an expression that promised vengeance, his confused professor by his side.

**AN: Another chapter done; sorry it's a bit late but work kept me too busy to get it posted. I'm halfway through the next chapter of Quest for the Divine Flame and it should be up very soon then I'll start working on the next chapter of this story and possibly another for Clockwork or another one of my stories.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Unchained**

Ch. 6: Rat Dreams

_October 31__st_

_Azkaban Prison; Maximum Security Level 3, Solitary_

Sirius Black tossed in his bed as the annual nightmare savaged his subconscious. It started with the deaths of two of his dearest friends and the possible horrors they faced at the hands of that snake-faced sadist. After Lily's dying screams faded, the scene switched to his corning of that traitorous bastard the next day. Even as he relived his final minutes of freedom, he was still shocked that the Rat had gotten the better of him.

Black wasn't like the other inmates of the world's most infamous wizarding prison. The primary difference being that he was completely innocent of the crimes that had gotten him tossed into this particular hellhole without so much as a trial. The other major thing that set him apart was that, despite his deceased mum's wishes to the contrary, his father had never disowned him. Earlier on the fateful Halloween, he'd stopped by Gringott's and taken up his rightful place as Lord and Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black; which ultimately made his extended vacation in Casa de Dementor more bearable.

His first official act as Lord Black had been to reinstate his cousin, Andromeda Tonks, and her daughter back into the family. He then set up a living will just in case he was ever incapacitated during the war. Another decision that often brought a smile to his face because of the problems it caused his darker relations.

The day he arrived in this accursed place, the Aurors had tried to remove his Lord's ring but the magic of the ring's nature prevented it. One of the guards called in the warden, who instantly recognized the problem then personal escorted Sirius to his new home. There were times in the beginning of his incarceration that the loneliness became too much but eventually he realized that the benefits outweighed the forced isolation.

Each of the Solitary cells was equipped with blood wards keyed to the specific inmate that leached away their magic until they were just above Squib level. Because of that, the Dementors were kept away from the Level 3; for that reason alone many inmates tried to find ways to earn time in Solitary for a break from the vile creatures torment. An added bonus for Sirius was that being the Head of one of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses meant that he received better meals and a medical exam once every four months.

The dream changed unexpectedly just before its inevitable end and the sleeping Lord found himself watching an older Pettigrew exiting the Hogwarts kitchens with arms laden with food. A disembodied voice whispered softly in his ear.

"Soon Padfoot you'll be free…"

_Hogwarts, the corridor outside of the kitchens_

Peter Pettigrew exited the kitchens with enough food in his arms to feed three people. It wasn't that the illegal rat animagus never ate because he was fed quite well. The problem was that the illegal rat animagus had spent the last decade hiding out in his animal form at the Weasley home and what passed for filling to a rat fell very short of the mark for a human being. There were numerous occasions after the ginger haired family fell asleep that Pettigrew assumed his true form and raided their kitchen for a midnight snack.

The supposed dead man had hoped that coming to Hogwarts as Ron Weasley's pet would've allowed him plenty of opportunities to visit the school's massive kitchens but that just wasn't meant to be. Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's demonic bloody kneazle, caught him the first time he'd tried to leave the Gryffindor Tower as a rat and the beast nearly disemboweled him. He'd been lucky to escape with his life. Every time he tried to sneak out the blasted cat was there waiting for him. Tonight had provided him with the perfect chance to plunder some food.

Peter had been hiding in the pocket of Ron's robes when the Defense teacher had stumbled into the Great Hall screaming about a troll in the dungeons. He used the confusion that followed to slip from the pocket and make his temporary escape. The Dark Lord's weakest and most pathetic minion was pleased at how quickly the house-elves tripped over themselves to make his various snacks. His plan had been to hole up in one of the numerous empty classrooms and enjoy his feast but he'd forgotten to ask for a basket so he had to move cautiously down the hallway not to drop any food.

Harry Potter raced to the kitchens as soon as he noticed the traitors name and location on the map. His eyes gleamed with righteous fury while every instinct screamed out for retribution. Each step that brought him closer to his quarry only made it harder to not give into his anger. It was like the Gryffindor part of his brain was trying to take over but luckily his Ravenclaw nature prevailed. In order for his Godfather to be freed from Azkaban, the rat needed to be captured then put on trial.

The young wizard arrived just a few seconds before his Head of House but those seconds were crucial. Harry raised both of his wands then poured as much of his magic as he could into two overpowered levitation charms; if they could work on a fully grown mountain troll then they should be more than enough to deal with a Rat. By the time Professor Flitwick arrived on the scene, the food had torn itself from Pettigrew's embrace and was attacking him.

The half-goblin Charms Master stared at the surreal situation he'd run into. He wasn't sure if he should laugh at the sight of a cowering adult wizard being viciously attack by foodstuff, be shocked that a man long thought dead was still very much alive or be impressed by the raw talent being displayed by his student. The decision was made for him when Flitwick recognized the early signs of magical exhaustion in Harry. Filius cast a powerful stunner followed by a full body bind on the not-so-corpse like Pettigrew.

Harry ended his spells the moment the traitor hit the ground then almost collapsed. The diminutive professor helped steady him and the boy tapped his ever present earring with his wand.

"Gem, we got the Rat but I could use some help getting back to the Tower. Professor Flitwick has his hands full with Wormtail," the raven haired boy said tiredly to nobody then glanced over to his teacher and explained further.

"My earring doubles as a communications charm, my sister should be here soon to help."

"Well Mr. Potter, you are just full of surprises. First that cloak of yours, then that wonderful map and now cleverly charmed jewelry; all of which we shall be discussing later. Is there anything else I should know about," Flitwick commented dryly.

"Yes but they need to remain secret for now. Aunt Andi and Uncle Ted told me that you'd been in contact with them and as much as we all trust you it's not the time for certain things to come to light. I hope you understand, Sir," the tired boy replied and the teacher nodded.

Roughly ten minutes later, Gemini Potter showed up with rest of the Bronze Quartette. She played scout while Tracy Davis and Daphne Greengrass helped her brother. Professor Flitwick and an unconscious floating Pettigrew brought up the rear. While the Head of Ravenclaw House and Potter heir had been waiting, it was agreed to take the bound wizard to Flitwick's office then use his secure floo to contact the authorities. During the trek back to their tower, the professor organized his thoughts for the upcoming interrogation of his young Claws. They made record time back and Filius wasn't surprised to see Minerva McGonagall waiting for them.

Years ago, the portraits and ghosts had stopped reporting the major comings and goings of the castle to the Headmaster in favor of his Deputy. There were many magical portraits between the kitchens and Ravenclaw Tower so they were bound to inform her about what happened.

"Filius, it's been a long night already so could you please tell me what the meaning of this is and how Peter Pettigrew is not only alive but trussed up like a Christmas goose," the weary Deputy Headmistress.

Flitwick indicated that Harry needed to explain and the young wizard started by admitting his part in the troll incident in the girls' bathroom. McGonagall's eyebrow arched at how Harry had helped her Lions and her lips twitched into a small smile of gratitude. Then the clone of James Potter went on to detail Pettigrew's betrayal and Sirius' lack of a trial. Of course, he conveniently left out anything to do with the map or his earring but was pretty forthright with everything else. That Professor Flitwick hadn't thrown him under the Knight Bus for his omissions earned the teacher a lot of trust points with Harry and company.

Minerva listened to everything and then asked to use to floo. She tossed in a pinch of floo powder and called Madam Amelia Bones at home. After a brief conversation, the other witch came through with a couple of the Aurors stationed at Bones Manor. The formidable head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement always kept a vial of Veritaserum on her person. Pettigrew was revived then given the required dose and questioned.

Once Peter had answered all of the basic questions, Madam Bones ordered the Aurors to put the animagus in magic suppression cuffs then taken to a holding cell in a safe house only the three of them knew about. Pettigrew's capture needed to be kept under wraps until just the right moment. Neither Dumbledore nor the Death Eaters still at large needed to find out until it was too late for them to do anything. That meant waiting until during the Christmas break when the Wizengamut was left in the hands of the Old Crones; a group of ancient matriarchs that sit in for the Lords and Ladies that are too busy enjoying the numerous Yule parties to bother with doing their jobs.

Filius Flitwick busied himself with making tea while the Deputy Headmistress and Madam Bones finally left. The Head of Ravenclaw directed his young charges to find a seat then served everybody a cup of Earl Grey. Once the youngsters were sorted out, he took a deep breath and let it go slowly.

"Miss Potter if you would activate the map and place it on the desk; I would like to know where you came by it. Then we shall proceed from there," he stated calmly then took a sip of tea.

"That is the Marauder's Map, well more precisely their Master Map. It represents their second greatest accomplishment of their school years. Dad scouted out the initial layout of the castle and some of the secret passages. Sirius Black refined the details then added the rest of the passages and the Room of Requirement. Remus Lupin did all of the charms work and all four Marauders – including the Rat – added some of their magic to give the map permanence," Gemini responded while her brother nodded in agreement.

"I see, it is some very impressive spell work. Since you mentioned that this is the Master Map then I assume there are others out there as well," the professor commented stoically.

"The original plan was to make just a single map to share between the four of them but Dad soon realized how foolish that was. Peter was always the weakest link so the odds were always stacked in favor of him eventually losing it while in his possession. He, Sirius and Remus discussed his concerned in private. The three added more enchantments to the map; they gave it the ability to replicate itself on command but the person making the duplicate could choose which features the copy retained. They also managed to find a way to tie it to school's Sanctuary Wards.

"Anybody with a Dark Mark or if a Dark Artifact passed through the wards, they would show up in red on the map. The same thing would happen if any of the Marauders betrayed the others. Not that we no how to activate the Sanctuary tie at the moment because Dad never told us. Any way, each of the four friends had their own copy of the map but Pettigrew never knew his was just a basic version with only a few of the secret passages marked. That turned out to be a good thing because he did lose his map as the others predicted; it was confiscated by Filtch during their sixth year. It was eventually liberated a few years ago because the Weasley twins have it as near as we can tell," she finished explaining.

"Simply remarkable, for the moment I will not tell Minerva about the map until the situation with the Headmaster is resolved. However, I want a complete copy of it and find out from your father how to activate the Sanctuary tie-in during the Christmas holidays. Now run off to bed, with all the excitement from tonight classes will be cancelled tomorrow and Mr. Potter needs the rest. I still need to let Andromeda know about what happened tonight," Flitwick stated then shooed the children off to their dormitories. He suppressed a chuckle because he failed to mention that it was going to be a full report. Andromeda Tonks nee Black was more than like going to have a few choice words for young Harry about confronting the troll.

**AN: A shorter chapter than the others but a necessary one. Before anybody goes off on my version of Sirius' imprisonment, I feel it that his status as a pureblood head of one of the really old families warranted it. It's not like he was in some kind of country club prison because there aren't any in the wizarding world. The next chapter should be up in a week or two; I'm hoping to get out updates for Southern Comfort and Elementary, Neville in the meantime. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Unchained**

Ch. 7: Problematic November

_Friday, November 3__rd_

So far, November had not been a good month for Harry Potter. The first year Ravenclaw had been forced to spend the first two days confined to his bed due to the magical exhaustion that resulted from his fight with a troll and later capture of the traitor Peter Pettigrew. Then to add insult to injury, he received not just one but two Howlers because of the troll incident. The first was from his Aunt Andi and was bad enough but the second was by far the worst. It had been from his second betrothed, Fleur, and screeched at him in French for almost fifteen minutes then started over in English. Terry thought it had been too funny and was more than happy to tell the girls.

This morning the raven haired boy had finally been given the all-clear to attend classes by the school's Matron who had been brought up to see him. She'd been upset that Harry hadn't been taken straight to the Hospital Wing but Professor Flitwick was able to diffuse her anger. No sooner than he'd joined his Housemates' at the Ravenclaw table for breakfast when the owl post arrived. Not really expecting anything from either of his guardians or a certain French witch, Harry ignored the flock of fowls in favor of the food that he piled upon his plate. He ate blissfully unaware as the buzz of conversations throughout the Great Hall increased in volume and many young witches cast speculative looks in his direction.

Sitting further up from the first year Claws, Cho Chang – like the other second year girls around her – was engrossed in the special Witch Weekly/Teen Witch combination issue:

**The Mysterious Potter Twins Exposed**

**by Rita Skeeter**

**The-Boy-Who-Lived and the Potter Heir: Princes of Hogwarts**

**by Rita Skeeter**

**Harry Potter the Bad Boy Lordling: Two Betrothed and still Britain's Most Eligible Wizard under the age of 17**

**by Rita Skeeter**

**Raising Living Legends: Ted and Andromeda Tonks**

**by Rita Skeeter**

**The Young Faces of the Old Families: The Future Leaders of the Wizengamut**

**by Moira McBride**

Were just a few of the tantalizing titles of the articles held within its pages. Unfortunately, the teen witches weren't the only ones with copies of the magazine; Professor's Sinistra, Vector and (surprisingly) Sprout each had their own. The two younger teachers were forced to share a copy after the Headmaster appropriated one of them for himself.

Albus Dumbledore fought hard to keep the satisfied smile from his lips. He was finally going to get some of the answers that had been denied him. The first article in the troublesome periodical explained how the Potter twins had been raised by the Tonks family. The Headmaster wanted to kick himself for not figuring that out sooner and had the sinking suspicion that at least one of his underlings had known that for some time. The article went on to discuss Harry being a Metamorphmagus and how the twins had been brought up in both the muggle and magical worlds.

Cho was an accomplished speed reader and quickly devoured all the information within the magazine. The Chinese witch adopted the inscrutable mask those of her heritage were famous for while her mind raced through plans. Much like Su Li and the Patil twins, she'd always known that the other purebloods thought of her as being nothing more than a foreigner despite being born in England. That meant that her parents would never be able to arrange a proper marriage for her unless they returned to China and that wasn't an option. Cho remembered how it felt when Potter's aura flared before the Sorting and brushed against her. That memory decided her course; Harry showed that first night that he had more than enough magical power to support more than just the two witches he was already contracted with. All she needed was a way to worm into the boy's good graces. Her eyes raked over the young wizard's normal companions until they rested upon his twin sister. She would be her key to Harry, all Cho had to do was give Gemini a little push then let the Ravenclaw Curse do the rest.

Tracy Davis was the first member of the Bronze Quartette that realized what the excited murmurs all around them were about. The witch that sat across from her had put the magazine down when it arrived in favor of eating but even upside down, the picture of the twins from King's Cross Station on the front cover was unmistakable. She snatched it up against the other girl's protests and scanned the headline teasers overlaid on the cover. _This is not good_, Tracy thought as she got the attention of Daphne and Gemini then showed them the glossy object. The Greengrass heiress growled while their red headed friend snorted slightly amused. Together, the trio of witches skimmed the articles and Daphne's mood got worse before the end of the one about how other girls were encouraged to go after _**Her**_ Harry.

_Meanwhile at Beauxbatons Academy, France…_

The special issue of Witch Weekly/Teen Witch was causing as much of a stir at the French magical school as it was at its British counterpart. Fleur had already burned her copy to ashes and attempted to reign in her rage but two of her fellow students were foolish enough to openly say something about making a play for young Harry Potter. The article about his eligibility had mentioned his two marriage contracts but only Daphne Greengrass' name was mentioned. Only her dorm mate knew that she was Harry's other betrothed. Unfortunately for the offending Fleur lost control of her temper and they were currently on their way to the infirmary and the veela shifted to her avian form as she threw fireballs at every copy of the magazine she could see.

Madam Maxime was forced to stun the infuriated teenage witch. The Headmistress of Beauxbatons had been informed of her favorite student's betrothal and knew there would be a trouble when the owls delivered the magazines. With a sigh, she gathered the unconscious girl into arms then carried her back to her dormitory. Afterward, the extremely large woman notified the professors that Fleur was excused from classes for the day.

_Back at Hogwarts later that day…_

Daphne Greengrass had been having a very bad day since those stupid magazines arrived at breakfast. She'd already hexed four witches that tried to flirt with Harry and received detention from McGonagall for slapping a fifth one before Transfiguration class had started. Her intended, like most boys, started out completely oblivious to why she was mad until his sister showed him the offensive piece of tripe. Then he made the mistake of telling Daphne that she was over reacting then compounded said mistake by trying to joke about not wanting to start a harem at this time. Naturally, the angry witch stormed off after she cast a mild stinging hex at his bits which he was smart enough to dodge.

"Boys," she huffed as went off to find an empty classroom to vent the rest of her anger in private.

Like every pureblood witch of noble lineage, Daphne was well versed in the marriage customs of her culture; especially the Old Laws that governed marriage/betrothal contracts. No matter how ironclad the contract was, it wasn't binding until the two parties engaged in some minor sexual act – normally erotic touching – and wasn't complete until it was consummated. For the intended bride that meant that if her husband-to-be was magically and financially powerful enough then any number of witches could insinuate themselves into his company and the future bride could find herself as a second or third wife taking orders from the usurpers. Thankfully, that specific bit of knowledge had been forgotten by the vast majority of the magical population; only the daughters of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses were still taught about it. While that tidbit offered the blonde haired witch some comfort, it hadn't helped mounting anger as girls continued to almost literally throw themselves at her clueless fiancé.

_Sunday, November 5__th_

_Staffroom; Hogwarts_

Headmaster Dumbledore tried to swallow his anger and keep his grandfatherly mask in place as he waited for the first Staff Meeting of November to start. In the last couple of months, he was forced to watch as two of his positions of power (Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and Grand Sorcerer of UEC) were given to an upstart American wizard and a vapid Swiss witch; neither of whom had even reached forty yet. To add insult to injury, those two organizations failed to so much as offer the Leader of the Light an honorary advisory position. Not only that, but since his forced retirement both groups had passed several progressive measures that could have threatened his plans for the Greater Good. The only thing that prevented that was the fact that he had handpicked the representatives to each and they were loyal to him.

His only true solace in this whole situation had come when the Wizengamut named him Warlock Emeritus and his former place was taken up by an old friend, Lord Ogden. Dumbledore's first choice for Chief Warlock had been Amos Diggory but both law and custom forbid a member of the Ministry from becoming Chief Warlock. While Ogden wasn't as mentally pliable as Diggory, he often gave greater weight to Albus' wishes. The elderly distiller of firewhiskey was also known for a penchant for accepting bribes to pass minor issues but overall he was man of integrity where it counted.

The ancient wizard waited for the concerned whispers died down and his Second, Minerva McGonagall, to bring things to order. It was only natural that the others were upset because of the incident the day before. During the first Quidditch game of the season, a rogue bludger kept trying to attack Neville Longbottom. Sally-Anne Perks – the Gryffindor Seeker prodigy – caught the snitch in record time but not before the bludger injured several spectators while the Boy-who-lived dodged the jinxed missile. The rogue ball stopped its assault just before somebody set Professor Severus Snape's robes on fire. Unfortunately, by the time Madam Hooch and the other professors had a chance to examine the bludger it was impossible to tell who had tampered with it.

Minerva got everyone's attention then started the meeting. The first portion was the typical review of classes and assessing the students' level of capability. Then came the inevitable complaints about needing more supplies and finally the report from Charter Committee.

Since being given their task, Professors Sinistra, Vector, Babbling and Burbage dove head first into the work. During their regular discussions with the Deputy Headmistress, they reviewed whatever section in the Charter they were currently on and offered up suggestions. Then the four gave a brief summary at the weekly staff meetings where potential changes were debated then voted upon. They were now a quarter of the way through the eldritch tome and so far all of the proposed deletions had passed along with pushing the Sorting back until fourth year starting next September; much to Dumbledore's displeasure. That was one of the things he'd hoped to postpone until after he'd regained control of the school from his mutinous underlings.

_Later that day…_

Harry Potter entered the school library cautiously while Daphne clung to him and molded herself into his side. Ever since that bloody magazine came out, the witch had been extremely clingy and jealous; not that Harry was going to complain about the former because he found he rather enjoyed it. It just felt right holding her close and he definitely wasn't going to complain about her sudden need to kiss him at random intervals. But as right as it was, something seemed to be missing and the raven haired wizard guessed that something might be his other betrothed, Fleur. The only downside was whenever Daph said _I Love You_. Where Harry understood familial love and the plutonic love shared between friends, he had no clue whatsoever about romantic love and froze like a deer caught in the headlights of a car whenever she uttered those three important words.

Of course, Daphne's mother had explained that boys were morons when it came to that singular emotion and needed a great deal of patience to train them. Before school started, the blue eyed witch often thought that she'd have the patience of a Saint when the time came to guide her intended but that was before that evil issue was published.

The couple was wondering who had sent the note for Harry to meet them here as they made their way toward the back of the library. A noise from their right drew their attention and the duo turned to find Hermione Granger, the brain trust of Gryffindor, motioning them into the stacks. The bushy haired witch looked frazzled but not overly concerned that Daphne had tagged along.

"Harry, Daphne, I want to start off by saying that I'm sorry for reacting like I did on the train. Neville has been teaching Wizarding Customs and I realized that I overstepped the mark," Hermione apologized sincerely.

"No blood, no foul. I know the system can be very archaic but as much as we don't like it we do need to work within it to get things changed," Harry answers while Daphne nodded her agreement.

"Look, I know this might seem forward of me but I heard a rumor that you had a secret stash of books and I was wondering if I could borrow a few," the Gryffindor whispered as she cast furtive glances around as if Aurors were going to pop up at any moment and arrest her for doing something illicit.

"Is that all, sure… no problem just come with us," Daphne laughed and the couple coaxed their guilty friend into following them back to the Ravenclaw Tower.

Just outside the tower door, Hermione had to swear not to reveal how to get into the tower or any secrets she learned inside, especially those of the Potter twins. Her jaw dropped as her companions guided her into the Ravenclaw Common Room then into an old stage magician's vanishing cabinet off in a prominent corner. The cabinet door was already opened and it was explained that that meant there were already students inside. At the bottom of the stairwell in the floor of the cabinet, shock and awe were the Gryffindor girl's primary responses as she was give a tour of the _house_.

Hermione was drooling when they finally entered the library. Bouncing around the a kid in a toy store or sweet shop, she giggled and she explored this new Mecca that had been revealed to her. Once the initial reaction passed, she pulled out a book that was as large as her torso and half as thick; Bridging the Gap: Where Science and Magic Intersect. The trio then retreated to kitchen/living room area. Hermione noticed an older pink haired witch sitting on the couch watching a movie while she and Daphne sat at the island in the kitchen to watch as Harry cooked. There was a small chalk board by the stove listed names, dates and food items and a catering menu was on the island in front of the witches.

"Ever since I cooked that food for Tonks, people of been pestering me to make something for them; it's mostly the older students but a few of the teacher as well. That's when I came up with the idea of doing a bit of catering. If I'm going to go out of my way to cook for them then I might as well make a few coins at the same time," Harry explained as he went through the process of making homemade pizzas.

Hermione thanked the young wizard for saving her and her friends on Halloween then the trio talked about anything and everything while Harry worked. He and Daphne talked about how they grew up in both worlds and answered questions about whatever the Gryffindor was curious about. From technomancy to the ins and outs of marriage contracts, the only thing that was off limits was anything that dealt with Lord and Lady Potter. In addition to getting some much needed answers and an offer to visit the Tonks home during the holidays – both Christmas and summer, Hermione brought her new friends up to date on her adventures so far at school. She missed the looks her companions shared when she mentioned package Hagrid had taken from Gringott's, Fluffy, Nicholas Flamel and Snape jinxing the bludger to attack Neville. Unknown to the three firsties, Tonks had been listening in and grew concerned. The older metamorphmagus made a note to let her parents because something weird was going on.

After the pizza, Hermione returned to her own dorm with her borrowed book. Harry joined his older cousin in the living room to practice their occlemancy and Daphne had the urge to go up to her room and vent to her future sister-wife about her overall crappy weekend.

**AN: Okay, I've decided to let you get a choice in on the whole Horcrux thing: either there will be seven that combined with a ritual that will bring Voldie back circa 1930's-1940's Universal movies or there's only a single Horcrux ala early 20****th**** Century English Lit. Either way, Harry is most definitely not one. I already know how to explain away the pain in his scar. Let me know what you think.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Unchained**

_Disclaimer: You already know it so stop asking me to repeat myself._

Ch. 8: Christmas Surprises

With the kneazle being let out of the bag at the publication of that fateful Witch Weekly/Teen Witch double issue, Andromeda Tonks nee Black assumed her rightful place as the proxy for both the Black and Potter seats in the Wizengamut which shifted the balance of power back in the directions of the Old Families. She was installed in her chairs within that legislative body during the last bi-weekly session in November. That was also the last regular meeting of the Wizengamut until the New Year. As soon as the session was adjourned, the Lords and Ladies made their way back to their homes to prepare for the month long Yule celebrations. Andi watched with a sly grin as the lemmings scurried away totally oblivious to just how much their world was about to change before they returned to work.

_Saturday, December 7__th_

_Wizengamut Chambers_

Fifteen members were all that was needed to reach a Quorum during the two _Off Seasons_ of the magical legislature and that exact number of ancient witches were seated around an oval table on the floor of the arena like room. Contrary to the popular belief that these Old Crones were merely placeholders to make it seem like government was actually doing something during the holidays, these women were the political juggernaughts of their day. While their offspring often considered them past their prime, the Old Crones were anything but that. True, the usually spent the first part of the sessions playing the harmless one-upmanship game of bragging about their grandchildren and great-grandchildren (because they all realized a long time their children were beyond a lost cause) but during the second half they skills at Machiavellian intrigue to covertly pass laws that benefited muggleborns and so-called Dark Creatures. Naturally, these laws were blanketed in enough bureaucratic double speak that they were often ignored unless they actually came into play.

These witches had lived through and lost so much in the wars with Grindlewald and Voldemort that they had outgrown such idiotic concepts as blood supremacy. The Old Crones often balked as they watched their own progeny make same stupid ignorant mistakes that cost so many lives in the not too distant past. Some of these women had been foolish enough to support Voldemort during his rise to power and had children that became Death Eaters but they came to their senses and tried to stop the insanity but it was too late. They vowed to never again let it happen if it was in their power to prevent it. Little did they realize that they were about to get such a chance today.

The Dowager Lady Augusta Longbottom sat at her spot at the center of the oval table and looked at her friends with a smug expression. She allowed them to chitchat for a few minutes more than banged her gavel on the table to get their attention.

"Distinguished Ladies… my friends… my sisters, being as we have a Quorum, I declare the Winter Session of the Wizengamut open and order the door sealed except as necessitated until the morning of December 24th or when all of our business in concluded," she intoned with a sly grin and the other witches fell silent. Between that grin and the wording used they understood that this was not going to be their typical meeting.

After a pregnant pause to draw out their suspense, Augusta continued, "Our first order of business is the trial of Peter Pettigrew (the other Crones gasped). Aurors bring in the accused."

The Auror stations at the entrance opened the doors and a pitiful excuse for a wizard was marched into the chamber by two of his colleagues followed by Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE. The oval table magically folded out into a horseshoe shape and Pettigrew was dragged to the open space in the middle where an interrogation chair had been placed then forced into it. Madam Bones administered three drops of Veritaserum to the accused wizard's tongue then moved to a seat at the table and began the questioning.

"What is your name?"

"_Peter Alfred Pettigrew_."

"Were you the Potter's Secret Keeper and did you betray them to Lord Voldemort?"

"_Yes._"

"Why did you betray your friends?"

"_Because I am faithful Death Eater and the Dark Lord wanted to kill their son and the Longbottom boy._"

"Why did Voldemort want to kill Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom?"

"_I don't know_."

"Did you kill those muggles and frame Sirius Black?"

"_Yes_."

"How did you accomplish that?"

"_The muggle street he caught up to me on was undergoing some construction. I recognized a sign for a gas main from Sirius' Muggle Studies book and I cast a blasting hex at it then cut off my finger, transformed, and slipped away in the confusion._"

"What do mean when you said transformed?"

"_I'm an illegal animagus, just like James Potter and Sirius._"

"What is your form and why did you become illegal animagi?"

"_My form is a rat. James had the idea to become animagi after we learned that Remus Lupin was a werewolf because werewolves aren't dangerous to other animals and he didn't want Remus to be alone during the full moon._"

"Where have been hiding all these years?"

"_With the Weasley family as a pet rat; first for the son, Percy, then recently for their youngest son, Ron._"

Madam Bones was about to stop the questioning but Madam Marie Malfoy cleared her throat. The mother of Abraxus Malfoy and grandmother of Lucius didn't look a day over thirty-five; her identity and that she was a veela was an open secret among the Old Crones. During Voldemort's rise to power, she had been forced to flee to a Veela Colony in her native France so her son and grandson could play at being purebloods and flaunt their so-called superiority. Marie never shed a tear when Abraxus was killed while on a Death Eater raid and only returned to England after the birth of her great-grandson. Draco was as much her pride and joy as he was his mother, Narcissa's.

"Do you know any other Death Eaters that are free? If so, then who are the," the ethereal veela asked and a few Quick Notes Quills joined the enchanted quill that was recording Pettigrew's testimony.

"_Yes. Lucius Malfoy, Theodore Nott Sr., Marcus Goyle, Vincent Crabbe Sr., Amicus and Alecto Carrow, Amistad Bulstrode, Walden McNair, Margareta Edgecrombe, Mathilda Hopkirk and John Dawlish_."

Most of those names were already well known except for the last four who were all Ministry employees. McNair was the executioner for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures; Edgecrombe was the Head of the Department of Floo Control; Hopkirk worked in the office that monitored Underage Sorcery and John Dawlish was an Auror. While those first seven names would be used for potential blackmail by the Old Crones, the named Ministry employees would be arrested, put on trial then thrown into Azkaban prison depending on their crimes. The Dowager Madam Malfoy then asked the million galleon question to clarify the guilt of the named Death Eaters.

"Is it possible that any of those individuals were acting under the Imperious Curse?"

"_No. The Dark Mark all Death Eaters bear is a variation of the Witch's Mark and can only be given to willing supplicants_."

"I believe we have enough information so let us render a verdict," Marie commented casually. Madam Bones gave Pettigrew the antidote then resumed her seat.

Augusta Longbottom cast a privacy charm so that the Crones could deliberate. In less than five minutes the elderly witches reached a decision. The Regent of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom and acting Chief Witch rose from her seat and stared into the traitor's eyes as she addressed him.

"Peter Pettigrew, we the members of the Wizengamut find you guilty of the crimes of murder, treason and the attempted destruction of two Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses. It is our judgment that you be thrown through the Veil of Death immediately."

The Rat paled and began to cry as the two Aurors next to his chair dragged him out of the chamber and to his ultimate fate. Augusta then turned to Madam Bones and continued.

"Amelia, you are hereby ordered to take a detail of your most trusted Aurors and apprehend the previously named Ministry personnel then bring them back here for trial. I also believe that you moved Sirius Black to one of our holding cells; please have him brought before us."

The aged stateswoman resumed her seat to wait while the Head of the DMLE rushed off to carry out her orders. Constance Ogden, mother of the recently installed Chief Warlock, looked at her old friend and smirked.

"Augusta, one would think you knew what was going to happen today," she laughed.

"Honestly, Constance, I have no idea where you got such a crazy idea from? I am just an old witch that has slipped into her dotage and incapable of such intrigues," August shot back straight-faced. The others laughed but the arrival of Sirius Black meant it was back to business. They all knew there was just too much to accomplish before they would be able to enjoy the holidays.

_Friday, December 13__th_

_Malfoy Manor_

Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, second oldest of the infamous Black Sisters (Andromeda, Narcissa and Bellatrix), lounged of a divan in the sitting room sipping her tea as she re-read the missive that had not that long ago. An evil smirk curled her lips when she heard the floo activate meaning that her… _husband_ had come home. _This is going to be fun_, she thought as she put down her cup then stood to greet the bastard when he entered the room.

There was a time when she was much younger and naïve that Narcissa actually loved Lucius Malfoy. As a fifth year Slytherin, she had been happy when her older sister ran off with Ted Tonks to avoid the Malfoy marriage contract. From the moment Narcissa was sorted into the so-called Snake Pit, she had a borderline obsessive crush Lucius. The young witch had even gone as far as glamouring the raven locks that marked her as a Black to the same pale blonde that flowed past her crush's shoulders.

To his credit, Lucius had been very loving and attentive to the middle Black sister after the contract fell to her to fulfill. In fact, he never showed any sign that the change upset him in any way. He acted like the perfect fairy tale Prince where Narcissa was concerned and the teenage girl fell hopelessly in love with him. The two were married after her sixth year but she wasn't able to get pregnant until 1980, three years after she graduated from Hogwarts, but Lucius had proven how much a complete bastard he was.

Narcissa was always very proud to be a pureblood and carried herself as a proper witch of her station should. She knew her husband was a Death Eater but never subscribed to the Supremacist beliefs he shared with her parents, Bellatrix and Aunt Walburga. Much like Andromeda and her cousin, Sirius, she witnessed firsthand the folly of inbreeding to keep the bloodlines pure in the madness that flowed through her family and the amount of Squibs produced by others. She also noticed that purebloods were becoming more and more of a minority with each passing generation and soon the self-proclaimed Noble Houses would become extinct. Her personal views about blood status were firmly cemented the summer before her second year when stumbled on the private grimoire of Pleiades Black, the daughter of Jupiter Black – the family founder – and apprentice to Salizar Slytherin, but she played the part of dutiful daughter then wife as was expect of her.

It was on her wedding night that her hatred for husband, the Dark Lord and the beliefs that drove them cemented themselves in her heart. Lucius had taken her to a Death Eater revel and presented her to his master as a plaything. In between Curciatus Curses, Voldemort and Bellatrix, who was already his most trusted servant, raped her for hours. Narcissa had been a virgin up until then and was returned to her sycophantic husband and broken and bloody mess who sodomized her in front of the others before taking back to their home. The point of the brutality had been to break her spirit and it almost worked. The violated witch nearly committed suicide to escape the pain and shame but the timely arrival of a letter from Marie Malfoy stayed her hand. Narcissa learned to truth of her husband's heritage and gained an ally in the older veela to help her endure.

Lucius had just returned from lunch with Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister of Magic, and he was in a foul mood. He tried to use the bungling fool's greed to influence Fudge to void Andromeda Tonk's claim of the Black proxy. Malfoy had taken a financial blow when he had been forced to sign over the Lestrange vaults to repay the galleons stolen from Hogwarts but his political power was still intact despite some disturbing rumors. Then last month, the worst happened and that blood-traitor bitch assumed the Black proxy as well as the Potter one and Lucius' influence practically evaporated. Unfortunately, the Minister was quick to point out that Andromeda had filed the proper paperwork within 24 hours of Sirius Black's arrest so there was nothing he could do.

Just when he thought his day could not get any worse, the current Lord Malfoy entering the sitting room and noticed the glint in his wife's eyes along with her smirk.

"Ah, husband, I received this wonderful letter from Marie earlier and I think you will find it very interesting. Of course, I shall require a Wizard's Oath not to reveal the good news until after the New Year," Narcissa purred with pleasure as she held out the document for him to examine.

Normally, the mention of his grandmother's name would have angered Lucius and his wife knew that but he misinterpreted his wife's expression as he snatched the offensive document from her hand and gave the oath. Part of him hoped he was about to read that the bane of his existence was on her deathbed but his rational mind knew he could not be so lucky. Lucius' face drained of color and his jaw dropped as he read.

_My Dearest Darling Grandson,_

_It is to my eternal pleasure that I inform you that Peter Pettigrew was captured at Hogwarts and put on trial on December 7__th__. During his interrogation before the Wizengamut, he named you and your friends as Death Eaters along with some others that worked here at the Ministry. He also explained how it was impossible to unwillingly take the Dark Mark. Have no fear; you are not going to be sent to Azkaban as long as you do as you are told. The same cannot be said for those former Ministry employees; McNair and Dawlish were thrown through the Veil of Death, whereas Edgecrombe and Hopkirk were given an extended holiday at Chez Azkaban._

_Now, I know that your father – being the good little Slytherin that he was – put an escape clause for you in your marriage contract. If I am correct, and I know that I am, it is the same one that your grandfather put into his; once an heir is produced, the contract could be terminated. Too bad a similar such clause was left out of the contract with my husband, Albrecht._

_This is what is going to happen: First, you are going exercise the escape clause in your marriage contract. Second, you will place the main Family vault into a secondary trust for Draco when he comes of age to assume the title of Lord Malfoy. Your personal vault is yours to do with as you please except for a monthly stipend you will pay Narcissa in recompense for all she endured at your hands; it is a muggle concept called alimony and you are going to embrace it with a smile. Finally, you will pack up your belongings and move into the townhouse hideaway your beast of a father used to mount his whores._

_After Draco, your muggle-loving Hufflepuff son, becomes the Head of our family, your fate will be in his hands. Should anything happen to myself, your son or your ex-wife then Pettigrew's evidence against you will be acted upon. You will be arrested and punished for your various crimes. Have a nice life and know that I plan to live long enough to dance upon your grave._

_Your Loving Grandmother,_

_Marie Malfoy nee Evangeline_

Lucius snarled in anger as he tossed the letter aside. He glared at the amused witch in front of him and called for one of the house-elves to gather his things as he turned and left his laughing wife.

"Why are you so angry, Lucius, I said the letter was good news… well for me anyway," Narcissa taunted as he stormed off. For the first time in fourteen years the thirty-two-year-old witch felt free.

Two hours later, the bastard was gone and Narcissa found herself standing in front the full length mirror. She felt like celebrating; it had been ages since she had gone anywhere that was not as a trophy wife. The clothes she changed into were more provocative than anything she had ever worn before but Andromeda said the outfit was perfect for something called Clubbing in muggle London. The children were not going to be back until noon tomorrow so there would be plenty of time to sleep off any excesses.

_At the same time, on a private beach in the British Virgin Islands…_

A couple watched as the two owls winged their way from the horizon towards them. Both appeared to be fit and in their early forties; the woman had raven black hair and a voluptuous build that was almost naked because her blue micro-bikini and matching top left little to the imagination. Azure eyes drifted from the incoming birds to her shirtless companion who had just come out of the surf a few minutes prior. His maroon board shorts clung to his pelvic region and upper thighs; the dripping sandy hair along with the matching mustache and Van Dyke touched with grey did nothing to detract from his overall youthful air. To the casual observer they were nothing more than an adventurous couple on a second honeymoon in the Caribbean but they would be wrong… at least partially.

The first of the fowl to reach them was a majestic Eagle Owl whose tawny feathers shown in the mid-afternoon sunlight that bore the crest of the French magical government. It was followed a moment later by a black Barn Owl. Each bird dropped their respective letters then flew off a short distance to recover in the shade of a crop of palm trees. The man opened the dispatch from France first and nearly choked at what he read. He passed it over to his impatient wife as he dove into the second letter which only added to his growing anxiety.

"Nick, I don't know what kind of game Albus is playing at but he is putting his students in danger pretending to have the Stone," the raven tressed woman commented with concern.

Nicholas Flamel, noted alchemist, wizard and immortal fought hard to reign in his anger when he answered his soul mate, "It's more than the students that are at risk!"

He handed over the second letter with a visibly shaking hand. She read it with mounting anger and threatened to cause an explosion from the magic that strong emotion elicited from her. With a cry of pure rage she apparated back to the bungalow they'd rented for the winter. Nick waited a couple of minutes before apparating himself to join her.

Perenelle Flamel nee Potter had been a highly spirited child with a yen for adventure, much to her mother's disdain. Where her father was indulgent, her mother started to plot a suitable marriage for her from the time she entered Hogwarts. That plot was laid to rest when Perenelle turned twelve and declared in no uncertain terms that she was going to take the Witches Prerogative; an option that let a witch avoid an arranged marriage by choosing a wizard (at that time not from a titled family) and bearing a child to carry on her family name. Liam and Iohann Potter were born during at the beginning of her sixth year of school. Her mother, being the absolute shrew that she was, took the twins away to raise and ordered the new mother to never darken her doorstep again. The distraught teenage witch appealed to her father but he couldn't get the older woman to relent.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Perenelle set off to travel the world but never forgot her children. She monitored the twins in secret and made sure they received letters and tokens to know that their mother loved them very much. During her wanderings she met her soul mate, Nicholas, and became his first apprentice. By the time her sons had grown up and started families of their own, the Philosopher's Stone had been perfected and she made a vow to continue to watch over her descendents as long as she existed. Over time, the Potter family grew and the knowledge of their connection to Lady Flamel was lost. Perenelle was then forced to rely on the goblins to be her spies and keep her apprised of significant events with her _children_. She never regretted that more than on that fateful Halloween night when the Potter family was nearly wiped out. The only information she'd been able to squeeze from the goblins was that the infant twins were safe with the Tonks family while James and Lily were being treated for exposure to some unknown dark curse.

The still enraged Lady Flamel was in the process of magically packing when her husband popped into the space next to her. There was a set of clothes for each of them was laid out on the bed for after a quick shower to wash off the salt and sand before they left. Nick pulled his wife into a tight embrace which broke her concentration and caused the items that were still floating to their trunks to fall on the floor.

"Peri love, calm down. The twins will be safely home for the holiday's tomorrow afternoon and there will be plenty of time to make a plan to deal with Dumbledore's insanity. We will not let anything happen to the children. So what's say we take a nice long shower, enjoy a last dinner in paradise then portkey to England so that we can do a little shopping before we drop in on the family. After all, it would be the height of gaucheness to show up to a reunion with a few gifts," the alchemist soothed as he skillfully guided his wife in the direction of the bathroom.

"Especially since it is Christmas; you're right… a round of power shopping is just what the doctor ordered to cure my mood," she quipped with a smile after he groaned.

_Great, power shopping… that means that in addition to getting presents for our family and friends she's going to redecorate at least one of our homes, _Nicholas thought as the pair entered the streaming shower.

_Southern France, latter that night…_

_Delacour Manor_

Beauxbatons Academy had ended classes for the Christmas break that morning and Fleur had been anxious to get home and see her family. In spite of the warm welcome she'd been given by her mother and Gabrielle, the teen veela was shocked to find that the manor hadn't been decorated for the holiday. When she asked why that was, her mother just said that it wasn't necessary; Gabby, on the other hand, would cast glances at her and giggle every few minutes. It got to the point where the Beauxbatons student was getting paranoid. It was her father that finally answered her nagging question when he returned home from work.

"Princess, are you excited? I figured that your packed bags would be by the floo and you ambush me as soon as I arrived," Jean-Xavier Delacour teased then switched gears at her confused look and continued, "Surely either your mother or sister told you we were spending the holidays with your betrothed and his family?"

At first, Fleur was stunned then she squealed with delight and rushed upstairs to pack. Excitement and nervousness at getting to meet Harry and Daphne in the flesh tied her stomach in knots. A house-elf popped into the room while she glowered at her closet to figure out what clothes to take and told her dinner was ready. As usual, the food was delicious but the meal ended quickly. The teen returned to her room but this time she was joined by her mother and grandmother. Between the three veela they were able to pick out enough ensembles to capture the attention of a certain young wizard. Three year age difference or not, Fleur planned on giving Harry a special present. It was just a bonus that it would make their contract binding. Maybe Daphne could be convinced to do the same; the two witches already agreed that there were going to be no other wives and Harry wasn't going to be able to take a consort without their express permission. Not that she planned on leaving him any excess energy to need one.

_Saturday, December 14__th_

_Hogwarts Express_

Harry and Daphne took one of the first carriages from the school down to Hogsmead Station after breakfast as they had already finished packing. The young couple ensconced themselves in the same compartment they sat in during the ride to school. They both pulled a pad of post-it notes and fountain that was filled with ink that had been mixed with their, Gemini's and Tracy's blood. The two put notes on the walls, window and door then drew the runes for privacy and a basic repulsion ward upon them. The runes used the blood mixture in the ink to activate the runes. Tracy and Gemini arrived next so they temporarily removed the post-it from the door and waited. Terry, Draco, Hermione, Neville and Ron soon joined them and the post-it was placed back on the door. During the train ride back to King's Cross Station, the group of friends played exploding snap, several hands of muggle poker, enjoyed some snacks from the cart, joked and exchanged gifts.

The Bronze Quartette received books and boxes of chocolate frogs from their new friends. Terry was given a memory crystal transfigured to look like an iPod and instruction on how to "download" more music and an Arsenal jersey that had been autographed by the entire team as a gag gift. Draco also got a magical iPod but his was loaded with 300 of the best Rock, Punk and Heavy Metal songs of all time but nothing else because he and his family were going to be spending Christmas with the twins. Hermione was given a copy of Introduction to Technomancy and a request form for Gringott's to do an Inheritance Test that bore the Potter Crest. That way she could learn who her magical ancestors were and find out if they left any vaults she could access. Ron and Neville both got Practice Wands, pine wands with a quartz crystal core, to use until they could make it to Ollivander's or get a custom wand made. Ron and his twin brothers all were given tickets to join the rest their parents and sister to visit the older brother, Charlie, in Romania. Nev wasn't going to get his other gift until Christmas Day.

As the train got neared King's Cross, Harry's face became a mask of false cheer as he mentally detached himself from his surroundings. Only his girls noticed the change and understood the reason behind it. Gemini felt the familiar stab of guilt she always got whenever she went off to do something with one of their parents because Harry could never come. Despite his assurances that he knew their parents loved him, he was never really able to totally hide his pain or the brief flash of jealousy whenever Gemini got to do things with their mother or father. It wasn't fair to him that he could never hear their voices, feel their hugs or even be in the same room with them; but nobody ever said that life was fair. Harry just put on a brave face, bottled up his disappointment and soldiered on because there was nothing that could be done about it. The second the train stopped, the raven haired wizard bolted from the compartment with a few mumbled farewells.

James Potter waited on the other side of the barrier from Platform 9 ¾'s for his little girl. He wore a ball cap and aviator shade as a disguise but not many people on the muggle side of the station would know who he was anyway. He and his Lily-flower still had a hard time believing that their babies were grown up enough to be at Hogwarts. James often cursed the day old Snake-face bought into the BS prophecy and targeted his family. If the Dork Ponce had just left them alone then they wouldn't be in this situation and the twins would've grown up knowing their parents. Thoughts of how fucked up everything was for Harry were quickly shoved to the back if his mind and buried; he and Lily rationalized not being able to be with him away under the pretense that girls needed their mums and dads more than boys did. _We'll make it up to Harry as soon as we can be a family again_, he thought but prayed that wasn't going to be too little too late.

Gemini had just said goodbye to all Daphne, Tracy and some other boy and girl when she noticed her dad leaning against one of the pillars. She practically flew across the distance between them and threw herself into her arms. If there was one thing that she never denied it was that Gemini Potter was very much a Daddy's Girl. It was also common knowledge within the family the James was wrapped tightly around his baby girl's little finger.

"Hey Kitten, I've missed you. Let's get your trunk out to the car then we can go finish up your Christmas shopping while you tell all about what you and Harry have been up to so far in school," the Potter patriarch commented as he guided his daughter out to the parking lot.

_Later that afternoon at the Tonks residence…_

Ted Tonks made a point out of staying out of his wife's, Andromeda's, way as she rushed about in a near frenzy going over last minute preparations. Andi had the house-elves clean the entire house from top to bottom until it was spotless while she ran to the store to get more food – just in case. Before she left, she made sure Ted had set up the Wizard's Shelter, box the size of a Rubik's Cube that expanded into an eight bedroom cabin, was flush with the sliding glass door that led out to the back patio. They were going to be playing host to the five members of the Delacour family; Narcissa Black, her son, Draco, and Marie Malfoy; whatever friends Nymphadora might have invited as well as the recently acquitted Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. The latter two, at least, would be sleeping at the Black ancestral home so wouldn't need rooms unless they were too drunk to leave. The Greengrass family was also supposed to come by every day to visit and get to know the Delacours.

Daphne and her family were the first to arrive at precisely 3 o'clock. Young Astoria Greengrass immediately commandeered the television and changed it from the football match to some chick flick before happily joining her older sister on the couch. Meanwhile, their father – Sebastian – joined Ted in commiserating over not getting to finish watching the game and their mother – Selene – went to see if Andi needed any help. Five minutes later, the doorbell announced the arrival of the French visitors. Nymphadora tripped as she ran down the stairs while Ted opened the door. The newcomers glided into the house and were shown to the living room where introductions were made.

"Please make yourselves at home. I'm Ted Tonks and this is my wife, Andromeda, our daughter Nymphadora – but she prefers Tonks or Dora. Over there are Sebastian and Selene Greengrass and their daughters – Daphne and Astoria," Ted introduced casually and the French wizard and witches nodded in greeting.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Jean-Xavier Delacour and these are my wife – Apolline, our daughters – Fleur and little Gabrielle, and my mother-in-law – Angelique. Thank you for inviting us to stay with you and give us a chance to get to know Fleur's intended. Speaking of which, where are Harry and Gemini," Jean-Xavier reciprocated and his family received similar nods of greeting.

Before the French wizard could get an answer to his question, the doorbell rang again. Ted went to let in who he thought might be Sirius and Remus only to be brought up short by an unknown couple. Something about the raven haired woman seemed familiar to him but he just couldn't place where they might've met.

"I'm sorry for drop by unannounced, my name is Nicholas Flamel and this is my wife – Perenelle Flamel nee Potter; I believe you and your wife sent us a letter," the man explained to the shock of everyone in the house.

"Yes… of course… please come in Lord Flamel. Wait, did you say Perenelle Flamel nee Potter," Ted managed to stammer out as he stepped aside for the couple to enter.

"Indeed he did; I would be the many times great-grandmother of Lord James Potter and the twins, and please call me Perenelle," the raven haired witch said as she and Nick made their way into the living room.

After the initial shock wore off over the surprise guests, the rest of the introductions were made and it was the Flamels turn to be stunned.

"Jean-Xavier Delacour, the Deputy Minister of Magic for France? I believe you also sent us a letter about the same situation as our hosts. May I ask why you and your family are here," Nick inquired somewhat incredulous.

"My daughter, Fleur, is contracted to Harry – the same as Daphne over there – and has kept in touch with both her betrothed and her future sister-wife. One of those letters from my soon-to-be daughter-in-law brought the situation at Hogwarts to her attention. Naturally, my daughter alerted her mother and I about her concerns. The potential danger of the Philosopher's Stone being housed in a school full of children was just too great to ignore so I wrote to you to ascertain the truth of things," Jean-Xavier replied as if it obvious.

The immortal couple nodded in acceptance and the Delacour patriarch re-focused his attention back to Ted then waited for his initial question to be answered. It was Andromeda that answered.

"Gemini is having a rare day with her father and Harry is taking some time for himself," Andi told them but there was something in her voice that made everyone felt there was more to it than that. At the same time, she was hoping for any kind of distraction.

The Flamels and Delacours realized that in time they would learn everything they wanted so the guided the conversation to safer topics. Throughout everything, Fleur grew increasingly impatient; her veela nature wanted to see if her wizard would be more than just a husband. She only settled down some when Daphne pressed herself into the French teen's side. Nobody was looking their way so they didn't see or feel the brief flash of the younger witches' auras or the reactions each had to the tingles the other's aura caused them.

The pleasant atmosphere that fell over the group was abruptly shattered when the front door burst open and a young girl screamed.

"AUNT ANDI, UNCLE TED… HELP," Gemini Potter shouted in panic from the doorway.

The crowd rushed to the entryway and found the tween girl supporting the weight of a collapsing James Potter. Her father was pallid, sweat soaked, shaking and in obvious pain. Ted and Sebastian ran up and took the dead weight from Gemini. Andi disappeared into the hall bathroom and could be heard rummaging through the medicine cabinet while the two men started to carry their burden toward the stairs. Fleur stifled a scream as her future father-in-law's flesh began to ripple. James screamed in pain as his aura flared and his body morphed into an eleven-year-old Harry Potter, who promptly fainted.

"Harry/'Arry," Daphne and Fleur choked out and tried to follow his bearers upstairs but were held back.

"Explain," Nick and Jean-Xavier demanded when Ted, Sebastian and Andi returned to the living room.

"After the Ministry finally allowed their forces to take of the kid gloves and use the unforgivables against the Death Eaters, Voldemort was hit by at least two killing curses but didn't die. The Dark Lord laughed at the aurors and hit-wizards and bragged how he was immortal. Lily was working as an Unspeakable at the time and had been charged with looking into the possible ways he could've done that. During her research, she came across the Reliquary Ritual. It bound a person's spirit and magical core to a metamorphmagus; if they died by magical means their core and spirit would join with the metamorph's ability would then be able to help recreate a body for them.

"In the meantime, people had started to lose hope so Dumbledore came up with a plan to _Rally the Forces of Light_. A fake prophecy that ultimately put both the Potters and Longbottoms in his cross-hairs; then came that fateful Halloween night. Lily had been upstairs putting the twins and a visiting Neville Longbottom down for the night when Voldemort attacked. James tried to hold him off but she knew it wouldn't be for long. In an act of desperation she cast the ritual on their baby son along with an ancient love based protection spell over the twins.

"When the Dark Lord cast his killing curse at Harry, he didn't realize it would hit a protection spell reinforced by the power of two full magical cores. The curse rebounded and ended his reign of terror but didn't kill him. What Lily hadn't counted on was how the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Metamorphmagi would affect the Reliquary Ritual or Harry.

"Because a Type 2 Metamorphmagi is born with the power active, it causes their magical core to be unstable during their early, most formative, years. The ritual Lily used was designed around a metamorph with a stable core and full control of their ability. By using Harry, his already unstable core was made even more so and his unprotected psyche had to contend with two fully developed personalities that were unwittingly vying for control of their shared body.

"While it's true that Type 2's need to wear suppression bracelets to keep their powers in check, everything else Professor Proteus put into Harry's official Ministry records or he told the school was utter shite. Suppression Bracelets don't work on him because they weren't made for people that have three magical cores. What he wears is an Inhibitor Bracelet. It acts as a ground for the cores and bleeds off the overabundance of magic so that his condition/ability is more manageable as well as acts as a low grade occlumency shield to prevent his mind from being constantly bombarded with his parents' thoughts or memories.

"When Harry turned seven, there were times when Lily or James could assert themselves and take control of his body for short periods. As long as they don't do it for more than three hours then everything is fine. You saw what happens if lose track of time and… _overstay their welcome_. In fact, although the Inhibitor makes things more manageable it can't bleed off enough magic to prevent periods where the three personalities unconsciously try to gain dominance; that is the real cause of Harry's _episodes_," the eldest Black sister explained but was unable to keep the worry for the unconscious boy upstairs out of her voice.

Narcissa, her family, Sirius and Remus had arrived during her spiel and had taken up supporting positions around the concerned witch. Sirius was briefed on his godson's condition within hours of becoming a free man and was secretly happy that he missed the earlier excitement. Despite being happy that his _brother_ and _sister_ were still alive, he was hard pressed not to kick their asses for putting Harry through this. But if he were to be truly honest with himself, he probably would've done the same thing in Lily's shoes; a last desperate act of a desperate person – in a way, that was what chasing after Peter had been all about.

Daphne and Fleur slipped upstairs unnoticed as the recent arrivals were brought up to date. They heard the adults start planning what to do about the fake Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts and such as they neared the top of the stairs. The younger witch conversationally pointed out that the Tonks' had made the connecting room to Harry's hers. The slipped into the betrothed room and pulled a couple of chairs up to either side of his bed then sat down. Fleur was happy to see that some color had returned as each witch held one of his hands in their own delicate ones. They fell into a comfortable silence as they waited for their wizard to return to them.

Harry Potter felt like he'd been run over by a tank; every muscle and bone in his body ached. The sad thing was that he wasn't surprised because he figured somebody might lose track of time while Dad hijacked his body. It didn't happen often, his parents were normally very conscientious whenever they took him for a joyride to be with Gemini. He felt a brief flash of jealousy for his twin but tamped it down hard; if all went according to plan then that particular emotion wouldn't be popping up again.

His head was tilted to the right when his eyes fluttered open twenty minutes later. Not having his glasses on made the blonde haired, blue eyed, angel look even more ethereal. His brain still wasn't firing on all cylinders when the words tumbled out of his mouth.

"Am I in Heaven," his sore throat croaked out in a whisper.

"No 'Arry, but I can show you Heaven anytime you wish… as often as you wish," Fleur teasingly purred.

"Not unless I'm on that tour as well," Daphne added with a giggle.

Over the next hour, while Ted busied himself making a gourmet dinner, everyone filtered through the resting boy's room. He finally got to meet his Dogfather, Sirius and Draco's mom – who insisted that he call her Aunt Cissy. Madam Malfoy and the Delacours were interesting people and Sirius' reaction to the veela allure of Miss Marie and Miss Evangeline made him want to pee in his pants it was that funny. Gemini was apologetic and Aunt Andi was hovering but that wasn't unusual given the circumstances. The biggest shock for everyone came when he met the Flamels and learned that Perenelle was his many times great-grandmother.

The second her arms pulled him into a hug, all the emotions he locked away broke free and Harry James Potter wept for the first time in his life. He cried in anger that Voldemort had been allowed to get away with so much while the Ministry sat on their hands and did nothing. He cried for everyone that died in the war. He cried that his parents had been forced to do a risky ritual so their family could survive. He cried for himself and Neville not getting to know their parents. But most importantly of all, he wept for never knowing a parent's love because no matter how hard Uncle Ted and Aunt Andi tried, it just wasn't the same. The immortal witch understood and rocked her grandchild in her arms as he finally unburdened his soul. For the very first time that he could remember, something clicked inside of him and he felt the warmth of a mother's love for her child as his cried himself out.

Uncle Ted had brought up a tray of food for him to eat while everyone else ate downstairs. Fleur had made a point of being very verbal about having her things put in Daphne's room so that the two could be close to Harry. The clueless young wizard failed to grasp the unspoken message the older girl meant but the adults had; that she and Daph would be sleeping in his bed with him. Harry polished off the dinner then set the tray on the nightstand and leaned back against the head board and closed his eyes.

Professor Protean's Occlumency lesson had been going well except that they had hit a plateau because Tonks was still in the middle of organizing all her memories. The raven haired boy had secretly gone to the next step in their training on his own – creating a mindscape. He easily entered the trance state blowing through the color scale in a couple of minutes and mentally descending the staircase until he reached the door to his mindscape. Harry paused for a few deep breathes then opened the door and entered, what was at the moment, a mental replica of the ranch house in his Vanishing Cabinet. He shut the door behind them and made his way into the living room where he wasn't surprised to see his parents waiting for him…

_Sunday, December 14__th_

_Gringott's_

Hermione Granger had spent the previous day annoying her mum and dad about wanting to go to the magical bank to get the Inheritance Test only to be denied by their desire to spend a quiet evening at home with their daughter. Daniel and Emma Granger feared that they would eventually lose their only child to the magical world and had been trying to come up with a plan to keep that from happening. Eventually, the bushy haired Gryffindor was able to convince her parents why the trip was important and they agreed to go to the bank first thing in the morning. As they were being admitted to Bluntclaw's office, they each wondered how the next few minutes would change their lives.

"Miss Granger, I understand that you are here at the request of Lord Potter to find out about your magical heritage. As time is money, let us not dawdle; you will notice the silver dagger and parchment on my desk. Use the dagger to make a small cut on one of your palms, let the blood pool in your palm then dump it onto the parchment. The blood will be absorbed then it will reveal what family or families you belong to and any gold and such you have claim to," Bluntclaw barked somewhat civilly.

The tween girl did as she'd been told; she picked up the dagger with her right hand then sliced it across her left palm and poured the blood that pooled onto the parchment. The document glowed and she watched as the slice healed while they waited for the results. After seven minutes, the magic completed its task and words appeared on the paper.

**Name: Hermione Jane Granger (Awakened Witch)**

**Father: Daniel Howard Granger (Squib)**

**Mother: Emma Michelle Granger nee Hunter (Sleeping Witch/Muggle)**

**Legacy and Titles: Heiress of the Noble House of Pellinore (Paternal – Cursed); Heiress of the House of Tesla (Maternal)**

**Assets: Pellinore Vault – 125,000 Galleons; 18,000 Sickles; 500 Knuts; Family Grimoire; Assorted pieces of armor and weapons**

**Tesla Vault – No currency; Personnel Grimoire; Signed First Editions of the complete works of Mark Twain.**

The three Grangers stared at the parchment in amazement while Bluntclaw waited rather impatiently for them to recover enough to continue with business. Unsurprisingly, it was the youngest member of the family that snapped out of her shock first; followed quickly by her father and mother.

"What are the Noble House of Pellinore and House of Tesla and what exactly is expected of me being the Heiress for both of them," Hermione asked rapidly in her excitement of learning something new.

"Pellinore… as in King Pellinore of the Arthurian legends," was Dan questioned.

"Why does it call me a Sleeping Witch/Muggle," Emma demanded incredulously. 

With a put upon sigh, Bluntclaw grunted out the explanations, "The Noble House of Pellinore was founded by the same king as in the muggle legends of King Arthur. Pellinore was a Celtic Chieftain that answered Arturius' call to arms and his first ally. Despite what that hack – Mallory – wrote, _Arthur_ and his so-called knights were nothing more than a group of desperate men trying to keep their country from constantly being invaded. Under the guiding hand of Merlin, he and the others were able to unite the various tribes and found a brief era of peace and prosperity. The part of those stories about Morgana Le Fay seducing Arthur and giving birth to a son, Mordred, is about as far from the truth as you can get. To unite the magical and muggle sides of his fledgling kingdom, Arthur mated with his half-sister to produce a Magical Royal Line to rule in tandem with his muggle heirs.

"But I digress; Pellinore was out hunting one day and unknowingly crossed into the lands of a witch. She was roaming her domain in her animagus form when he accidentally shot her with an arrow. In a fit of rage, she transformed back to her human form and cursed him and all of his descendents to hunt a beast they could never catch. The Questing Beast, as it is known, is invisible except for its tracks and its cry can be heard for hundreds of meters. Whenever that cry was heard but anyone of Pellinore's blood then they would be compelled to track it.

"As for the House of Tesla; that refers to the immediate family of the Awakened Wizard and muggle scientist, Nikola Tesla. While he might have claimed to be celibate in the muggle word, he actually had three magical children with a witch named Irene Parkinson. She was later disowned by her family due to the liaison and eventually went to live in the muggle world. Two of their children died during what you call The Great War and the third became Mrs. Granger's great-grandmother.

"The House of Tesla was destitute at the time of his death despite his work being the foundation upon which the principles of Technomancy were built upon. For a fee, we at Gringott's might be able to press some reparations on certain Magical Patents but it could years before you saw a single knut. So in reality, Miss Granger, you gain little from being an heiress of Tesla except some prestige in certain circles outside of the UK.

"Being the Heiress of the Noble House of Pellinore is another matter entirely. In addition to the Family Vault, you have a seat on the Wizengamut but you cannot assume the title of Lady Pellinore until you reach your majority. The Family Charter makes it impossible for squibs to be disowned; therefore, your father can act as Regent until then and sit as proxy in your seat in the government. I would recommend that you set up a Trust Vault for your education before you leave the bank today.

"Mrs. Granger, unlike the Ministry of Magic, we goblins recognize five categories of blood status: Pureblood, Half-Blood, Squib, Awakened/Muggleborn and Sleeping/Muggle. I believe that the first, second and fourth are self-explanatory. A squib, like your husband, is a person born of magical parents but without the mental pathways to access their magical cores. This leads the majority of witches and wizards to believe that they have no magic whatsoever. Someone that is Sleeping/Muggle was born in the muggle world with magical ancestry. They have the necessary mental pathways to access their magical core but, for some strange reason, lack the ability to use them. However, both Squibs and Sleeping/Muggles retain the extended lifespan of their _normal_ magical kin."

The goblin sat back with a huff as his guest took a few more minutes to process everything that they had just learned. When they were ready, Dan nodded and the group moved on to the task of setting up Hermione's Trust Vault. Keys were then issued and the family of three was escorted to their vaults. The Tesla Vault was emptied and closed out while the Pellinore Vault was left mostly unexplored in favor of getting a bag full of galleons. They stopped at the Trust Vault just long enough to verify that the 50,000 galleons had been deposited. Overall, the Grangers had been impressed with the efficiency the goblins had showed and Dan and Emma made an appointment for after the second week in January to set up their wills and discuss possible investments.

They left the bank with a file full of official documents then headed straight to the Ministry to file all the required paperwork reinstate the Noble House of Pellinore. At first, the clerk in the Department of Records was uncooperative until she noticed the name of their House. Then the low level bureaucratic witch bend over backwards to help them as expeditiously as possible. She made sure that their taxes were brought up to date and magical passports were issued then took an impression of the Family Crest and Regent's Crest from the two rings that Dan had been given before they left Gringott's.

The next stop for Hermione and her parents was a private dining room at a nearby restaurant in Diagon Alley. While they ate, the trio discussed how they were going to move forward considering their new status in the magical world. For Hermione, the only thing that really changed for her – at least in her mind – was that her parents were now a part of every aspect of her life. For the elder Granger, a whole new world opened up for them to explore. Dan and Emma had often talked about things had become monotonous and how they were ready to start a new adventure. They originally agreed to hold off on that until Hermione was out of school and starting a life of her own but now there was no need to wait. They could sell their practice to a friend and still see the occasional patient and Dan still had his responsibilities as a Reserve Officer in the SAS. Further discussion could be held off until later.

After lunch, the recently ennobled family went on a bit of a shopping spree. Surprisingly, the first place the bushy haired young witch excitedly dragged her parents to the trunk shop. For the very first time in her life she named dropped; Hermione mentioned Harry to the owner because she knew the craftsman had done the work on his Vanishing Cabinet and hoped to get a better deal. Meanwhile, Dan and Emma were yet again blown away at what could be done with magic as they looked through some of the floor models on display. They settled on a couple of turn of the century style magical steamer trunks for themselves and a briefcase for Dan charmed with expanded space in the file pockets and a blood ward lock. Hermione decided on a two compartment trunk with the second compartment shelved for a modest size personal library; each of the Granger women also purchased a purse and book bag respectively with Infinite Expansion charms on their interiors. All three trunks teak covered with dragon hide and brass accents with Featherlight, Shrinking and Unbreakable charms.

The shopping trip continued with stops at Madam Malkin's for robes and Flourish and Blott's for any books they felt they needed. Finally, the family of three made their way out of Diagon Alley and through the Leaky Cauldron into London proper. Another hour of shopping for warm clothes for their trip to Switzerland then they were back at home to pack. Instead of flying, Dan had opted to ferry across the channel then drive up to the ski lodge; for some things, he and Emma felt that the instant gratification of magic should be set aside in favor of more mundane methods.

_Christmas Day_

_Longbottom Manor_

Augusta Longbottom nee Croaker watched as her grandson, Neville, excitedly opened his Christmas presents. It was the first time in years the boy had been so animated. Two days after he came back from Hogwarts, the formidable witch had caught him using a different wand. Her first reaction was to yell at the child for disrespecting his father's memory but the amount of power Neville displayed stopped her. Augusta watched from the doorway as his face alit with both joy and satisfaction at what he was able to do; but the light died in his eyes when he noticed her and realized that he had been caught. During the conversation that followed, she was forced to face the truth of how much she had done wrong by her grandson. The emotional discussion went a long way to repair their relationship. The dowager Lady even agreed to get him his own wand if his received good grades at the end of the school year.

After the traditional English breakfast, the Longbottom Regent and young Heir traveling by floo for their yearly pilgrimage to St. Mungo's to visit their stricken relations. The pair made their way up the various floors of the magical hospital until they reached the Permanent Spell Damage Ward. Five doors down the ward and they came to the room of Frank and Alice Longbottom.

"Who are you and what are you doing to my children," Augusta demanded of the young man that was standing over her catatonic son and daughter-in-law pointing his wand. He looked vaguely familiar but she knew that she had never met him.

"Forgive me Madam Longbottom, I had hoped to be done with this before you arrived but you are just in time. Lord Potter requested Gringott's send somebody over to cast some diagnostic spells. Because Neville is best friends with my youngest brother, Ron, the goblins thought I would be the best one for the job and they were right. I'm Bill Weasley by the way," explained the man whose telltale red hair was shoulder length and tied back into a pony tail. An earring made from some kind of claw dangled from his left lobe and his eye held a triumphant gleam.

"What reason would Lord Potter have to make such a request without consulting me," the aged witch countered; one eyebrow arched imperiously.

"This was to be a Christmas present from the Potter twins to Neville. Lord Potter felt something was off with your children's condition and thought it should be looked into by someone that knew what to look for. While it is true that a person can be tortured to the point of a psychotic break, being Crucioed into a catatonic state is unheard of. Ninety-nine percent of all Healers lack experience with exotic or forgotten curses so only a Cursebreaker like me could give an accurate diagnosis and any kind of treatment," Bill replied and watched as hope sprang to life in the expressions of the surviving Longbottoms.

Stunned, they watched as Bill went about his diagnostic, cursed then called for some Healers. For the next three hours he, along with a team of four Healers – one of which was a legilimens – worked on the vacant eyed couple. When they were finished, the oldest Weasley son and the legilimens were magically exhausted but everyone was wearing satisfied smiles.

"Madam Longbottom, your children will make a full recovery. They're resting now but should wake up in the morning. It will still be several months before they reach 100 percent but they will be fine," Healer Chadsworth – one of the team – commented as the rest of the Healers filed out.

"Thank you, Healer Chadsworth, but I want them transferred to Longbottom Manor immediately. Frank and Alice have missed so much that I do not wish the first thing they see is this accursed room. Mr. Weasley, thank you for bringing my children back to me. Please send my thanks to Lord Potter as well and let him know that a more personal thank you will be made later," Augusta sobbed joyously as the cursebreaker went on his way while she and Neville waited for Chadsworth to get the discharge papers.

_New Year's Eve_

_Tonks Residence_

The house was unusually quiet but that had more to do with the fact that all but three people were currently home; the others had opted to attend the Ministry of Magic's New Year's Eve Celebration to give Harry and his two fiancés some space. There was still an hour until midnight and the two witches were still getting ready for an unforgettable night in bed with their wizard.

All things considered, Fleur Delacour was more than thrilled with how things had steadily progressed between her, Harry and Daphne. From that very first night, the key was pushing the boundaries of her raven haired intended. It had taken two nights just to get Harry used to sharing a bed with her and Daphne – of course wearing modest sleepwear had been the key to that. From there, they moved on to over the clothes groping to masturbating in front of each other; then came sleeping in bed naked which progressed to mutual masturbation and made their contracts binding. Tonight, the veela teen convinced Daphne to things to the next level and teach Harry the joys of oral sex. It was their way of giving an extra thank you to the boy that had captured their hearts.

On Christmas morning, both witches had been amazed to find little velvet boxes that held engagement rings in their stockings. In front of the whole extended family, Harry declared that just because they had marriage contracts didn't mean the his ladies shouldn't get the wedding of their dreams then dropped to one knee and proposed to each of them. Those two actions scored the young wizard some major brownie points, not with just two crying blondes that couldn't keep their eyes of the sparkling diamonds on their fingers but all of the women. He scored even more points by cooking Christmas dinner along with playful scowls from the men for making them look bad.

The two beauties slipped into their fiancé's room in nothing but their usual silk robes and found Harry already naked in the bed they shared. They both could tell something was different about his demeanor but there was nothing threatening about it. It wasn't until the reached the bed that they noticed his green eyes had slit pupils which meant his animal side was coming out. Before either witch was fully in the bed after discarding the robes, Harry grabbed Daphne and pinned her beneath him. His aura pulsed and flared which made both blondes excited.

He immobilized her arms above her head with one of his hands while the other played with her breasts and his mouth attacked hers. Daphne's moans of pleasure increased as his lips made their way down to suck and nip her breasts. After a few minutes, his free hand slithered down to rub along her sex before stroking her clit. The young blonde's legs opened wider to grant him better access and that was what he'd been waiting for. Harry removed the hand and began to rub his hard member between her dripping lower lips. She bucked to get more friction but he used his hand to hold down her hips when she neared climax. He rubbed his shaft down her slit one more time then paused just for a second before he pushed the head of his cock into her entrance and stilled. Daphne stiffened at the sudden intrusion but relaxed when he failed to go any further. He started stroking her clit again with hand that had been holding her hips at a feverish pace. His mouth opened and the light glinted off of a set of thin curved fangs. Harry's head shot forward and his fangs sank into Daphne's left breast as he sucked on her nipple and flicked the tip with her tongue. That pushed her over the edge and she came like never before, the gushing torrent coated the wizard's hard member and he removed his cock's head from her opening.

Harry presented his flesh wand to the older girl who had watched the action with growing arousal. Fleur quickly positioned herself so that she could lick his cock clean before giving him his very first blowjob before he repeated his performance with her. Daphne, who had originally been nervous over the thought of going down on Harry, followed her _sister's_ example and found that she enjoyed the taste of Fleur mixed with his natural flavor; she greedily swallowed every drop when her male lover exploded inside her mouth. Then it was Harry's turn to enjoy a show as his two lovers licked each other clean in a classic 69 position. Harry then showed them the joys being a Parselmouth could bring them as he licked them both to another two orgasms each.

It was a very contented trio that finally collapsed in each other's embrace and fell asleep just before the rest of the family returned home.

**AN: Well, I think this is the longest chapter I've written to date for any of my stories but I might be wrong. At one point, I was thinking about breaking this chapter into two but decided against it because I wanted to just get it over with. Hope you enjoyed the next chapter will see the youngsters back at school and the noose starting to tighten around Dumbledore's neck.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Unchained**

Ch. 9: A New Year, a New Beginning

_Friday, January 4__th__, 1992_

_Hogwarts Great Hall_

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster-in-name-only, had had one of the worst days of the past seven months. It was so bad that as he sat in his chair at the Head table watching the students that had just returned from their holiday file into the Great Hall, his head throbbed with a headache that potions were not able to cure. His right eye twitched when he noticed the Potter twins and their friends laughing their way through the door. Somehow, the ancient wizard just knew that the brother and sister was the root of all of his current problems. It that last thought that brought all the frustrations of that morning back to the forefront of his mind.

_***Flashback***_

Dumbledore sat back in his chair in the row just behind the Minister and Chief Warlock with his most grandfatherly expression. It was the first regular session of the Wizengamut for 1992, as well as his first as Warlock Emeritus, and everyone needed to see that despite being stripped of his official position of power here that he still retained his influence; besides, Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act was going to be introduced with his Rider so everyone could review it before it was voted on this coming summer.. Albus frowned slightly when he noticed the Augusta Longbottom was not sitting in her usual place in the Longbottom seat but dismissed it as the old bat finally going senile and forgetting where to sit.

"As there are more than enough present for a Quorum, I call the Wizengamut in session," Lord Ogden, the new Chief Warlock, intoned solemnly but was interrupted.

"Chief Warlock, might I suggest we hear the report from the Winter Session before you call the Roll. That would allow some of our missing members to arrive before we move on to new business," Madam Longbottom spoke up from her unaccustomed place. Ogden glanced around the room then over to the Minister Cornelius Fudge before he nodded to the old witch.

The dowager Lady made a show of standing of from her chair then slowing stepping down into the center of the room. There were more than a few puzzled expressions when people noticed the strange crest on her vacated seat. Dumbledore knitted his eyebrows together as he tried to place which family it belonged to. It was the only hint he was given about how bad his day was going to get. The stately witch pulled some folded parchments from her roped, opened them and started to read.

"The Winter Session was called to order on December 7th, 1991, and the doors were ordered sealed until all the business of the Wizengamut was completed. The first task set before us was the trial of Peter Pettigrew who was captured Halloween night at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Professor Filius Flitwick and 1st Ravenclaw student – Harry Potter," Augusta began but had to stop because of all the incredulous shouting that had begun.

A withering glare from the interrupted stateswoman silenced everyone. When it was quiet once more, Madam Longbottom continued. She read the trial transcript aloud but paused when she reached Pettigrew's naming of other Death Eaters to explain that that information was deemed Eyes Only for those that had been present for the trial except for the names of former Ministry employees. The Death Eaters and their supporters in the Chamber understood the unspoken threat of blackmail. Augusta finished the transcript then moved on tell them about declaring Sirius Black innocent, freed from Azkaban and the amount of reparations the Ministry would be forced to pay him for a decade of false imprisonment.

Fudge paled significantly as the transcript was read then started to sweat after hearing the amount of the reparations to Black. The Ministry of Magic barely had enough funds to pay its lower level functionaries and operations costs for the various Departments so the additional strain of paying off Black was going to bankrupt the government. That particular financial crisis was the direct result of his actions. Cornelius had misappropriated all the galleons from the budget cuts he'd made and used the funds to renovate his home and extended _lunches_ at a brothel that catered to those with certain predilections; Veela, metamorphmagi, children, etc.; as long as you had the galleons for it. Even if he emptied out the secret account he kept Lucius Malfoy's _re-election contributions_, he was going to be 50,000 galleons short of replacing everything he took. The fact that his niece, Mathilda Hopkirk was named as one of the Ministry Death Eaters was just another nail in the coffin of his political career.

Dumbledore watched Fudge's reactions and knew it was time to start the groundwork for his next gambit to achieve his Greater Good. He leaned over until his mouth was next to the Minister's ear.

"Cornelius, I have been thinking about something that would show the rest of the magical world just how great we are. Perhaps it is time to revive the Tri-Wizard Tournament. If you get Barty Crouch in International Magical Cooperation and Bagman over in Magical Sports and Games working on it now, then it could be set to go in a couple of years; the same time the Quidditch World Cup is held here – yes, I heard about that. Unless I miss the mark, the advanced fees for both events should be enough to cover any deficits in the Ministry's coffers," the manipulative old man whispered then sat back up straight.

A blind man would've seen the gears turning in the Minister's head at whatever the Warlock Emeritus had said to him. While Wizarding Britain winning the bidding to host a future Quidditch World Cup had made the rounds of the Ministry before the ink had even dried on the contract, nobody knew how such a coup was made. Fudge stifled a smirk at the memory of taking the Head of the Selection Committee to his favorite brothel then paying for the deviant to be buggered by a Centaur. After that, the wizard was more than happy to the necessary strings to bring the Cup to England. Special invitations were set to go at the beginning of the week to all the vendors and the corrupt politician's eyes started to gleam at all the various _fees_ he could charge them. With his cause of his worry dealt with, he focused his attention back to the formidable witch on the floor.

"… and the Witches and Wizards with Disabilities Act were passed unanimously; everyone will receive a packet with all the new legislation. The Winter Session was closed in proper form and we adjourned, Peace and Harmony prevailing," Augusta Longbottom finished to stunned silence but made no move to take her seat. At some point during her report, the doors behind her had opened and four people came in but stayed cloaked in the shadows.

"Ah… yes, thank you for that report Lady Longbottom; I'm sure that I speak for us all when I say that we are looking forward to reviewing those information packets. In fact, I believe that our Scribe should pass those out now while I proceed with the Roll," Lord Ogden commented then almost choked when he continued as the mentioned younger witch levitated a packet to each chair.

"The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black – Lord Sirius Black."

"_Present_."

Sirius moved from his place in the shadows, crossed the floor, and then made his way up to his Family Seat. Murmurs sprung up among the crowd but the Chief Warlock pressed on.

"The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Bones – Ted Tonks, Proxy."

"_Present._"

The murmurs increased in volume and threatened to boil over into full shouting at such a blatant political maneuver by Madam Amelia Bones. In an effort to convince the muggleborns and common purebloods that they had some kind of say in the government, the Minister of Magic and each of his Department Heads were given one vote in the Wizengamut to act as a check to balance out the power of the Noble Houses. In reality, the _People_ actually had no say whatsoever; from its very creation, the Ministry of Magic has been a clever smokescreen used to subtly promote the Pureblood Agenda. When those votes were added, it was decreed that should anyone in those positions also be the Head of a Noble House then they would have to choose which vote to use because they could use both. It became tradition for the Ministry Officials to give up their familial votes for as long as they were in office.

While each Noble House had one vote, the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses each had four. One for being the oldest magical families, one for assisting Merlin in creating the original Wizard's Council, one for swearing fealty to House Pendragon, and the final one for acting as the first line of defense against the magical forces of the Norman Invasion. As the current Lady Bones, that meant that Amelia was forced to give up the bulk of her personal power by being the Head of the DMLE. Before today, she had been too occupied with fighting to keep the position she'd earned within the Ministry to appoint a proxy. With the naming of Ted as her proxy, Madame Bones not only showed she was going to use her power to its fullest but that Old Families were about to shift the balance of power. Dumbledore wasn't the only one in the chamber that balked at that realization.

"The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom – Lord Frank Longbottom."

"_Present._"

The former St. Mungo's patient strode from the shadows up to his family seat as the noise level continued to rise.

"The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter – Andromeda Tonks, Proxy."

"_Present._"

The raven haired witch smirked as she made her way from the shadows up to the Potter Seat. The final surprise came when Lord Ogden reached the last name on the Roll.

"The Noble House of Pellinore – Captain Daniel Granger, Proxy."

"_Present._"

Dan strode across the floor in his dress uniform with his recently acquired briefcase in hand. The assembled Lords and Ladies finally erupted with indignant shouts as he sat down in the chair Augusta Longbottom had vacated. The elderly witch now sat on her son's right. The Chief Warlock pounded his gavel to regain some semblance of order for five minutes before a tense silence fell.

"I know of no such Noble House and demand that man be removed from the Chamber," Lord Nott sneered pompously.

There were several members that concurred but Dan just smiled as he made a show of opening his briefcase then removing a robe for which he needed to stand in order to put on. The light seemed to glint off his Regent's Ring as he smoothed the garment into place. Only after he was satisfied with his appearance did he turn to the Chief Warlock.

"I do believe that our faithful Scribe has a file with the necessary information to prove my right to… _be here_… as you put it," Dan replied challengingly.

All eyes in the room turned to the Wizengamut Scribe and the witch in question made a show of going through a number of folders that resided in her In Box. She stopped at the third on then pulled it out and opened it to review its contents. She cleared her throat then directed her explanation to the Chief Warlock.

"Chief Warlock, as of the 14th of this December past, the Noble House of Pellinore has a seat in this Chamber and the right to be here," the Scribe began but was quickly interrupted.

"Impossible, I never received any paperwork about a Noble House of Pellinore," Minister Fudge interjected hotly while Lord Nott and his allies smiled smugly.

" Well then perhaps you should start reading everything that you sign because I have the official Ministry form to re-instate a dormant Noble House signed and dated by a clerk in the Department of Records that was countersigned on the same date by one Cornelius Fudge – Minster of Magic. According to the supplementary information provided by Gringott's, The Noble House of Pellinore dates back to King Arthur's Court and as one of the families that made up the Court it was afforded the rank of Defender of the Realm. This means that not only does the Noble House of Pellinore get two votes in the Wizengamut; it also has the right to raise an armed force in defense of Magical Britain.

"Next, there is an official Proxy form – also dated 14th December – that names Captain Daniel Granger, SAS, as proxy because the future Lady Pellinore, Hermione Granger, is a minor. Capt. Granger's status as a Squib is noted and copies of the relevant pages from the Pellinore Family Charter were attached to show that a squib was allowed to act as Regent and Proxy if the next Head of House has not reached their majority. The last five pages in the file are official Declarations of Alliance between the Noble House of Pellinore and the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Black, Bones, Greengrass, Longbottom and Potter," the witch countered then returned the sheaf of parchment back to the file and moved it to her Out Box.

Silence fell in the Wizengamut Chamber for a few minutes as the members mulled over the information they had just been given. Before today, there had been 150 seats in the Wizengamut; the Old Families and Noble Houses made up 125 of them with the remaining 25 taken up by the Minister and his Department Heads. Once the Old Families were discounted, only a baker's dozen of the remaining 120 Noble Houses had existed for more than 500 years. The rest had only been around since the Norman Invasion or later. Therefore, it was only those thirteen Noble Houses that knew enough comprehend the full importance of what had just happened and just how interesting things were going to become in the Halls of Power.

When King Arthur first united the various Celtic tribes under one banner, he knew that they wouldn't hold up against the near constant onslaught of invaders unless the magical and non-magical could be forged into a single entity. Thus, the dream that was to be known as Camelot in the future was born. He divided his fabled Knights of the Round Table equally between magical and mundane Lords. He married the daughter of one of his non-magical vassals but also took a powerful witch to his bed to make a Magical Heir.

Unfortunately, as history reminds us, all good things must come to an end. Much like the Biblical King Solomon grew jealous of his pagan neighbors, Arthur Pendragon became jealous of the power of his magical subjects. The war that inevitably came destroyed everything he had worked so hard for and it was only as he drew his last breath that he realized his foolishness. Arthur called for his most trusted advisor, Merlin, and charged him with preserving what was left of his dream until the Magical Heir returned. Muggles of course twisted this story into that whole _Once and Future King_ tripe.

Merlin then gathered together the five oldest families along with the magical members of the Round Table at Stonehenge. He ordered his four greatest apprentices; Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin; to create a safe place to teach young witches and wizards because of the Dark Times that he foresaw. Next he created the Wizards Council; the first independent magical government. It was set up like a tiered pyramid – his four apprentices made up the top tier and acted in an advisory capacity, the next step down actually held the leadership role and fell to the Heads of the five oldest families (Black, Bones, Greengrass, Longbottom and Potter). They were followed by the Defenders of the Realm or Arthur's one-time magical vassals. The final tier was comprised of the most powerful families from the remainder of the magical populace.

The Wizard's Council governed Magical Britain with fairness for centuries but formed the Wizengamut and what would be the Ministry of Magic the same year Parliament was formed by their muggle counterparts. By that time, all of the families that had been Defenders of the Realm had been dormant for decades and the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses started to reproduce less and less as their numbers were decimated in conflicts with various Dark Lords and Ladies. They had yet to recover from the war with Grindlewald when Voldemort rose to power and started his campaign of terror. Of course, the war with that particular Dark Lord is what finally broke the Old Families until they became nothing but a shadow of their former power.

For those few that knew that history, the actions of Madam Bones and everything else meant nothing less than that the Old Families had thrown down the gauntlet and silently declared that they were taking back their power. They sat back and began to formulate strategies to navigate this new political landscape as the meeting proceeded.

Albus Dumbledore, Warlock Emeritus, sat in his chair and felt the first pangs of a headache start as he reviewed the legislation packet from the Winter Session. Each word he read just made his head hurt worse. Those bloody Crones had gone out of their way to sabotage not just his agenda but those of his enemies as well.

_***End Flashback***_

Just remembering the contents of that packet made Dumbledore's head throb worse than ever. He honestly could have cared less about most of it; after all, why should Salary Caps and pay cuts for Fudge and his top aides. No, the thing that irked him the most was the part of that bloody Witches and Wizard's with Disabilities Act that classified Lycanthropy as a disease and moved werewolves from the Dark Creatures list as well as guaranteeing them equal rights. It was vital to the Greater Good that the werewolves, like every other half-breed and monster, be kept downtrodden so that they would support Voldemort when he returned in order that they could be wiped out. While pawns like Remus Lupin and Hagrid had their uses, ultimately they were threats because they often have contact with others of their kind in other countries and have the potential to adopt dangerously progressive ideas.

The Headmaster huffed then gave up dwelling on what the Old Families were attempting at the moment because he had more than enough on his plate trying to slow down Minerva and her changes to _**HIS**_ school. He was grateful that while the updating of the Hogwarts Charter progressed steadily, discussion about adding any new classes had been put off until after his forced probation. Albus planned to play along with his second-in-command for now but once he regained his full authority, Minerva was going to be replaced by that doddering fool, Slughorn.

_Saturday, January 19__th_

It was the third Saturday of the month and Gyffindor was playing Hufflepuff in Quidditch. While it was a regularly scheduled game, what made it note worthy was the fact that Professor Snape had volunteered to referee. Draco Malfoy sat in the stands with his House mates but he was more focused on a certain player than the game itself. Hanging out Harry and his friends had opened his eyes and only made him even more interested in muggle stuff. That was why he made friends with the Gryffindor Seeker, Sally-Anne Perks, when they were paired together in Herbology. The young wizard and witch found they had a lot of things in common which meant that his free time, when he wasn't studying, was often split between hangout out with her and the gang.

The Malfoy Heir was sure why but he felt whole whenever the two of them were together. Draco felt a pang of sadness when Sally-Anne ended the game within a few minutes by catching the snitch but wasn't going to let it ruin their friendship. It was movie and curry night in Ravenclaw Tower and he wanted to invite her along. He waited after the stands cleared before he headed over to the entrance to the Gryffindor locker room and noticed that the rest of the team was already making their way back up to the Castle. Ten minutes later, Sally-Anne still hadn't come out and Draco started to worry so he went in to investigate…

Sally-Anne Perks was physically vibrating by the time she made back to the locker room after the game. When she and her dorm mates had first been given The Talk, she swore to do _that_ unless absolutely necessary after that first time. It was the religious beliefs of her muggle parents that made her feel dirty whenever she gave in and touched herself but her views began to change after she started practicing with the Gryffindor House Team. Wood explained that it wasn't uncommon for players to have sex to vent excess energy after games but that she was never going to be forced to do anything she didn't want to do. In the beginning, the honey blonde haired and blue-eyed witch kept her sexual activities strictly to the other girls. That changed after her first game; magic and adrenaline coursed through her system without an outlet and her usual partners were busy with the Weasley twins so she gave herself to Wood. She didn't know if it was because the burly fifth year was a wizard's wizard, or not, but he was surprisingly gentle with her. Of course, she made the mistake of owling her parents about what she'd done and they hadn't taken the news well. In fact, if it wasn't for an Aunt that was also a witch, she wouldn't have had a place to live after the school term ended.

She was more than ready for some action by the time she got out of the shower but to her consternation, the team had already left for the after game party. With a huff, Sally-Anne dropped her towel and was about give herself some relief when somebody walked into the locker room.

"S-s-sally-Anne, are you okay," her favorite Puff, Draco, stammered as he came into view.

The young witch adopted the predatory smirk that she'd learned from her teammates, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell, as she slowly stalked up to the boy that was about to become her _very, very good friend_.

_Meanwhile, at the nearby Broom Shed…_

Ron Weasley, best mate of the Boy-who-lived – Neville Longbottom – and Hermione Granger, had left the after game party after his brother, Fred, had given him permission to fly his Cleansweep 7. It was the young Gryffindor's intention to try out for the House Team next year and he wanted to get in as much practice time on a broomstick as possible before then. Unfortunately, his plan for the next hour or so went out the window after he noticed that greasy git, Snape, sneak out of the school and head into the Forbidden Forest. He, Neville and Hermione had already guessed that the Potions Master was after the Philosopher's Stone so he jumped onto his broom and followed the hated professor.

The youngest Weasley boy nearly fell off his broom when he heard the slimy git threaten that cowardly Professor Quirell. Because he needed to let the others know this, he raced back to the Broom Shed, dropped off his brother's broom and then raced back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He was in such a rush that he never noticed the team's star Seeker slip out of the locker room with a glassy eyed Hufflepuff in tow.

_Two hours later in the Vanishing Cabinet in Ravenclaw Tower…_

Hermione pulled Harry Potter aside just before the movie started and told him everything Ron heard, their suspicions about Professor Snape and what they'd manage to learn from Hagrid. After she and her parents had returned from their ski trip, the Grangers had spent most of their time at the Tonks' house and Hermione had grown closer to Harry, Gemini, Daphne and Tracy. Although she was still embarrassed at how tongue-tied she'd been when she met the Flamel's. Harry told her how the stone at the school was a fake but she needed to keep it secret from Ron and Neville. She felt bad about that because they were her first friends but she understood the reasoning behind it. They went back to the others and the muggleborns and half-bloods kept laughing at the reactions of their pureblood friends to Total Recall.

Harry Potter's thoughts were divided between the joy of having Daphne snuggled into his side, the reactions people had to the movie and reviewing what Hermione had just told him. What could he say; he was very adept at multitasking. No matter which angle he looked at the problem from, sometime soon he was going to have to go after the fake stone himself. If he didn't than that manipulative old buzzard was going to find a way to trick Neville into doing it.

_Wednesday, January 24__th_

Gemini Potter sat at a desk in an abandoned classroom rocking back and forth as she looked down at the black leather bound book in front of her. Dinner was in full swing and there was little chance anyone but her brother or friends would be able to find her here. Unlike her brother's condition, which needed to be made public knowledge to prevent it from later being used against the family, she had two secrets that nobody outside the family knew; the first was that she had been born a natural Animagus – her form was that of a tiger. The other secret was that she'd inherited, through her Black heritage, a susceptibility to the Dark Arts and a touch of Battle Lust. Two things that had made Bellatrix Black an extremely dangerous witch.

Despite growing up with a Grey Ideology, she and her Aunt Andi made certain to keep potential exposure to the Dark Arts at a minimum. For years, Gemini avoided temptation but then it was virtually thrust upon her when Cho Chang had given her a book just before the start of the Christmas holidays. The older Ravenclaw had told her that she'd been given it as a gift by an unwanted admirer and she wanted nothing to do with it so she's thought Gemini might like it. The book had pulsed with a slight Dark aura and the red headed witch wanted it desperately but had managed to lock it up inside her trunk over the break and not think about it. One trembling hand hovered over the cover but had yet to open it.

_What harm can there be in just reading a book,_ she thought then gave into the temptation and opened the book – Le Petite Grimoire.

The Grey Lady, ghost of Ravenclaw House, watched invisibly as the young witch started to read. Outside of the Head of House and the older Ravenclaws, she was the only other being that knew about the curse upon the House. Her mother, Rowena Ravenclaw, had crossed every line in her fanatical pursuit of knowledge; forgoing Light and Dark to become a Black Witch. It was the Founder's own obsessive compulsion that tainted Ravenclaw House and corrupted many of them. She prayed Gemini could beat the curse.


	11. Chapter 11

**Unchained**

Ch. 10: Hogwarts: Impossible

_Saturday, February 10__th_

_Inside the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw First Year Boy's Dorms_

Terry Boot sat on his bed and looked at the blue envelope with bronze wax seal wearily while Draco Malfoy was glad none of his dorm mates were in the room as he glared at his. Simultaneously, they each reached out to their respective envelopes. The instant they were touched the envelopes floated up into the air, formed a mouth and began to speak in the unmistakable voice of Tracy Davis in a manner not unlike a Howler.

"_Good Afternoon Mr. Boot/Malfoy,_

"_Back in the late 1970's, four friends banded together to form The Marauders. They, along with several secret accomplices pulled massive pranks; much to their fellow students delight and the professors' consternation. Despite the outward appearance of being dedicated jokesters, their true purpose was to promote the bonds of friendship and make sure that the bullies and pureblood bigots received their rightful comeuppance. Where the Weasley twins have taken up the Marauders prankster mantle, their true legacy as yet to be embraced; it is with that in mind that you are being given the opportunity to earn your Marauder credentials._

"_Exactly one week ago, Hagrid – the Hogwarts Gamekeeper – hatched an illegal dragon's egg in the presence of Neville Longbottom, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. They have arranged for the hatchling to be smuggled out of the grounds tomorrow night from the Astronomy Tower. Unfortunately, a first year Slytherin – Theodore Nott – has learned of this is will do everything in his power to get all four in trouble._

"_Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to provide as many distractions as possible so that the dragon can be smuggled out without any of the staff becoming any the wiser. Additionally, you need to counter Nott's attempts and make sure that he is the only one to receive Detention. If at any point you are captured, the MMF (Marauder Mission Force) will disavow any knowledge of your existence. You will find a package with your equipment underneath your bed. To open it, tap it with your wand as say: __**I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.**__ This message will self-destruct in ten seconds."_

After the time was up, the letter burst into flames and the Mission: Impossible theme song filled the two dorm rooms. The two young wizards smiled as they pulled the packages from under their beds as they wondered what was inside.

_Sunday, February 11__th_

_Private quarters of the Head of Ravenclaw House_

Filius Flitwick sat at his desk in his private study like most nights with his eyes focused on the bank of medium sized mirrors that hovered above his desk and the curious parchment on it. On Christmas morning, he hadn't been surprised when he opened a gift from the Potter twins and found his own Master copy of the Marauders Map; which was open on his desk. What had surprised him were the other gifts. From Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, he received the mirrors that were hovering over desk; each was keyed to a part of the map to display one of the floors of the castle and its grounds. James Potter had given him the password to connect to map to the school's Sanctuary Wards for time of danger while his wife's gift was something a little more specific. Lily Potter had given him a runic ring that was keyed to the communications jewelry used by her children and their friends as well as a parchment with that detailed the charm they used.

The half-goblin Charms Master wasted no time and gathered together all of his Prefects as soon possible then used the new charm on each of their badges. This way he was able to direct them during patrols and the Ravenclaw Prefects were able to have the "Bust Rate" in catching troublemakers and such. In fact, many students along with his fellow Heads of House kept hounding after him to learn how it was done. There had been more than a few occasions when Minerva, Pamona and Severus dropped by unannounced to try and find out the secret. Thankfully, the map always alerted him before they arrived so he was able to get rid of the evidence. The one time he was almost caught with the map was when the Headmaster used one of the house-elves to pop him just outside the door to the professor's quarters.

Unfortunately, tonight was not like those other nights. The past couple of weeks, he noticed that young Harry spent all of his free time holed up in the potions lab in his vanishing cabinet. Two hours ago, his ring had gotten warm which was the indication that the twins and their friends had activated their charmed jewelry. Filius twisted the ring a quarter turn counterclockwise and what he heard was a single phrase that held ominous portent – _"Operation: Weapons of Mass Distraction is a go."_ The voice belonged to Daphne Greengrass. It had been quiet ever since.

Naturally, the Charms Master had ensconced himself in his private study and activated the Map. The first thing he noticed was that Harry, Gemini and their friend Tracy Davis were all in the library along with several older Claws; one of whom was a Prefect. As long as the younger students were with a Prefect, Flitwick allowed them to be out after curfew to do research. Every now and then, his eyes scanned the rest of the mirrors then darted down to the small eagle statue just within reach on his desk. That statue was charmed so that he could talk to his Prefects while they patrolled. Even though it was their turn in the patrol rotation, Filius debated on whether he should put them on alert. His internal musings were cut short Daphne finally spoke again.

"_Granger and Longbottom have just left Hagrid's with the dragon hatchling. Draco and Terry are making their way down to the first floor bathrooms. There's about two minutes before all Hell breaks loose. Gem, Tracy go intercept the Gryffies and take them to the new extraction point. Harry, once the explosions start you can make your run for the fake Stone."_

For a second the tiny professor's mind was torn between which was more pressing; a group of first years trying to smuggle a dragon off the grounds or another going after the Philosopher's Stone. After that first staff meeting at the beginning of the school year, Minerva had cornered Albus and made him swear to remove the Stone from the school. Not only had he not done so but it appeared as though it was never the real one in the first place. Let out a breath he knew Harry's task was the one that needed help. Filius got up, crossed the room and retrieved Potter's confiscated Invisibility cloak. He then wrapped it around himself and rushed off to the forbidden corridor.

_Just outside the Library…_

Harry Potter had just separated from his companions and headed toward the forbidden corridor when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It felt like somebody was following him; it wasn't exactly a new feeling because it happened pretty frequently throughout the year. His tongue slipped out of his mouth to wet his lips but he never paused to look behind him. When he reached his destination, the feeling intensified and he wet his lips again. This time he caught the all too familiar scent of his Head of House in the air and smirked. Outside the door to the corridor Harry stopped then removed his school robes and took off the bag he kept his books in. He was now clad in only black fatigue pants with a matching t-shirt and combat boots. Over the shirt were two leather bandoleers that contained a number of full potion vials. Next, he opened the bag and removed a large jar filled with a smoky substance, an army surplus gas mask and two black leather pouches that he slipped into his right front pocket and a handful of opaque tubes that went into his left front pocket.

The raven haired youth donned the mask, picked up the jar with one hand and flicked one of his wands from its holster into the other. A muffled _Alohomora_ later and the door was opened and Professor Flitwick watched as his student briefly opened the door then toss the jar inside before he quickly shut it. Nearly a minute later, a loud thud could be heard from the other side of the door. Harry re-opened the door and stepped inside; the immediate area was full of a gas that was rapidly dissipating. When the last of it was gone, he removed the mask then went over to the trap door in the floor and opened it. He straightened for a moment as his hand slipped into his left front pocked and pulled out one of the strange tubes.

"I don't know who else is watching but I hope you enjoy the show Professor Flitwick," Harry commented as he bent the tube until a small snap was heard then shook it up.

With a chuckle, the half-goblin removed the Invisibility cloak and watched as a glowing orange light filled the tube. The tube was dropped down the opening and the first year Ravenclaw watched it fall. Filius knew when it reached the bottom because Harry nodded.

"Oh, Devil's Snare; this must be Professor Sprouts protection," the boy muttered then pulled a vial with a viscous fluid of some kind in it from a bandoleer then threw it down the opening as hard as he could. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

It wasn't long before smoke wafted up from the portal. A few minutes later, Harry jumped down the opening. He hit with a thud and a few curse words; Flitwick followed up but cast a levitation charm on himself so that his landing wasn't as jarring. He watched as the boy pulled out another tube and made it light up. The eleven-year-old wizard then held it aloft as he preceded down yet another corridor to the next challenge.

Flitwick watched as the boy paused for a moment when the sound of flapping wings reached them but continued on into the chamber where the half-goblin's protection waited. Harry glanced from the brooms hovering off to the side to the glittering keys flying above them then to the door. With a grin, the raven haired firstie takes one of the brooms then lays it against the wall by the door. Then he removed the bandoleers then took off the tee-shirt and placed it on the floor before putting the bandoleers back on. With a flick of his left wrist, a wand appeared in the child's off hand; then he removed one of the vials from a bandoleer then threw it up towards the keys. Just before the potion could begin its descent to the ground, Harry raised the wand and cast a simple Stinging Jinx at it which made it explode. The concussion from the blast stunned several of the keys and they fell.

The first year raced forward and gathered about fifteen of them which he secured in his discarded shirt. He then returned to the door and removed the larger of the two bundles from his right front pocket and opened it. Filius noted it contained a number of wrought iron tools that looked like medieval lock picks. Selecting two of them, Harry made short work of unlocking the door. He flung it open with a flourish, grabbed the broom and bundle of now agitated keys and walked into the next chamber and its challenge. He laughed when he noticed the enlarged chess set, mounted the broom and flew above it to the door at the opposite end. Professor Flitwick just shook his head at how easily one of his favorite young charges easily circumvented tests that were supposed to challenge more experienced witches and wizards as he flew after the boy on one of the other brooms.

Harry paused at the door to the next room because something large could be heard shuffling inside. He shook his tee-shirt bundle for a good five minutes to make sure the keys were especially worked up, opened the door quickly and released the keys inside then shut the door. A muffled roar was heard from the other side a minute later and the young man wisely flattened himself against the wall a few feet to the side of the door. It splintered outward and a Mountain Troll rampaged out of it with angry flying keys swarming around its head. The brute soon stumbled onto the chess board and the pieces came to life and overwhelmed the simple minded creature until it was knocked out. Filius gaped in shock while the younger Ravenclaw moved on down the now troll free corridor to the next chamber. The Charms Master snapped out of that state soon enough and chased after his pupil.

The professor reached the room of the next task, Professor Snape's protection, just in time to see Harry read the note on a table with a number of potion vials of various sizes then glance over to the black flames that blocked the entry to the final room. With a shrug, the rather inventive child put the note down with examining the potions and walked through the flames. Filius rushed to the table and examined the paper and realized Snape had used a logic puzzle for his task. It was only after he realized that in logic the simplest answer was the correct one that he understood the flames that barred the doors leading into and out of the chamber were just complex illusions. He was about to walk through the flames when Harry returned carrying a fist sized ruby. The Head of Ravenclaw House also noticed for the first time that the boy was favoring his left leg.

"Harry, sit down and let me take a look at your leg," Filius commanded and the young wizard in question slumped to the floor gratefully.

The teacher removed the boot and rolled up the pant leg as far as he could. It was obvious from the swelling that Harry had damaged both his ankle and knee. Flitwick levitated him back the way they'd come from then all the way to the Hospital wing. The halls were full of students and staff alike but nobody paid them any attention. Once Harry was safely in the Matron's tender care, Filius returned to his private chambers; where he proceeded to fire call Andromeda Tonks to inform her of what happened and pour himself a very large glass of firewhiskey.

_Elsewhere in the Castle during Harry Potter's Excellent Adventure…_

Terry Boot and Draco Malfoy had each taken one end of the ground floor then started to drop fireworks down all the toilets, then made their way to the bathrooms on the next three floors. The resultant explosions and flooding woke up the entire school. As teachers and students rushed around trying to find the culprits, for which the Weasley twins were the prime suspects. Young Sytherin ponce – Theodore Nott – had stopped to use the facilities closest to Professor McGonagall's room when he knocked out when the toilet in the next stall blew up. When Terry heard the thud of a body, he tossed his remaining fireworks under the door and next to the body. He opened the stall door and laughed when he recognized Nott. He then rushed out of the bathroom before anyone could come and investigate. He and Draco slipped into the throng of students easily but Draco was almost caught by the school's caretaker, Filch.

A prefect caught Nott red-handed about fifteen minutes later. Professors Snape and McGonagall were furious as they dragged the boy toward the Headmaster's office ignoring his protests of innocence.

_Meanwhile, outside the castle just as the fireworks started…_

Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger were trying to drag a crate with a noisy dragon hatchling as stealthily as they could from Hagrid's hut to the entrance closest to the Astronomy Tower. They had barely made it twenty yards before the Gryffindor witch's friends, Gemini Potter and Tracy Davis, appeared before them.

"There's been a change of plans; Charlie's friends are meeting us down by the Black Lake," Gemini said before she and Tracy helped them manhandle the crate to where it needed to go.

Ten minutes later, Norbert the Dragon was being hauled off by two Disillusioned Dragonhandlers while the remaining two flew the first years to the top of the Astronomy Tower before they joined their fellows. The four firsties made their way down from the tower to find the halls full of confused students. Hermione and Neville made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower while Gemini and Tracy followed a few older Ravenclaws back to their own. According to the running commentary from Daphne that whispered in their ears, they knew that the mission had been successful but Harry had hurt his leg and was currently getting checked out in the Hospital wing.

_Monday, February 12__th_

Harry Potter walked into Great Hall for breakfast in front of his friends as he tossed a large uncut ruby in his right hand. Everyone grew silent as the Headmaster's eyes bulged out of his head.

"Mister Potter, where did you come by that stone," Albus Dumbledore asked as his Deputy and several of the teachers turned to glare at him.

"Well… you see Headmaster… during all of the confusion last night I decided to take you up on your challenge from the start of school year. Professor Flitwick observed me as I entered the Forbidden Corridor then made my way through each of the challenges of your obstacle course to claim the prize," the raven haired boy quipped good naturedly.

The staff at the Head table turned to look at their half-goblin colleague for an explanation. Filius Flitwick, Charms Master and Head of Ravenclaw House, smiled as he pulled a glowing glass and silver orb from his robes. While the students had no clue about what it was, the adults all recognized a Goblin Pensieve Orb – the only kind of pensieve allowed during trials because they can only show true memories. He tapped a rune on one of its silver bands and the entire Hall watched as Harry breezed through the various challenges until he returned with the stone. Everybody had been so wrapped up in the images that they failed to notice when the doors to the Great Hall had opened. As the images faded, the newcomers made their presence known.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING," Andromeda Tonks nee Black and Perenelle Flamel nee Potter shouted and made everyone jump. The young wizard that had earned their ire turned bright red as they continued their tirade.

"Albus, dinna think yer gonna get off so easily," McGonagall hissed, her Scottish up.

**AN: I'll admit that I just wanted to have some fun with this chapter so Flame all you want. Not every chapter can be gold so go with it. Besides, I wanted show Harry breezing through those challenges with as little actual magic as possible. Before anybody bitches about being able to pick the lock to get into the Chess room, think about it. Witches and wizards are so lazy that they use spells on the locks to prevent other spells being used to open them. I can't remember where I read it but somebody made a valid point when they wondered about why there was a Keeper of Keys when they used magic for everything. The only place that actually used keys was Gringott's. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Unchained**

Ch. 11: The Aftermath

_Monday, February 12__th_

_Hogwarts, Great Hall – Head Table_

Minerva McGonagall; Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration Teacher; scowled briefly as she made her way to her seat for breakfast. Her diminutive colleague, Prof. Flitwick, was looking even more smug than usual. Ever since the start of the school year, his Claws had decimated the other Houses in accumulating points for the House Cup mostly do to four first-years – the Potter twins, Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis but their friends in the other Houses benefitted from the study sessions they ran as well. Slytherin's domination of both the House Cup and Quidditch Cup was finally over thanks to the Ravenclaws and her Lions respectively. Just before she sat down, Filius' face was spit with a predatory grin.

"What a lovely morning, Minerva, do you not agree," the half-goblin Charms Master chimed and the stern witch wondered just what was about to happen.

Naturally, she found out as soon as one Harry James Potter strolled in wearing a satisfied smirk while he continually tossed a large raw gemstone into the air. The fist sized uncut ruby glinted in the sunlight that filtered into the Hall through the windows. When the Headmaster's face lost all color, Minerva knew that the boy had somehow beaten the traps in the Forbidden Corridor and that the so-called Philosopher's Stone had, in fact, been an illusion cast upon the gem by Albus-soon-to-be-made-a-human-kabob-after-she-shoved-a-red-hot-poker-up-his-decrepid-arse-Dumbledore.

"Albus, dinna think yer gonna get off so easily," McGonagall hissed, her Scottish up after two women burst into the Great Hall and began berating the Potter boy. She recognized one of them as being Andromeda Tonks but she had no idea who the other witch was.

The Deputy Headmistress had just enough control to erect a number of advanced Privacy Charms before she and her fellow teachers laid into the daft Old Fool. All the shouting on both sides of the Privacy Charm came to an abrupt halt when Professor Quirrell jumped up from the table then pulled his wand and started throwing curses at Harry Potter.

"THE STONE BELONGS TO MY MASTER," the once timid teacher screeched before being cut down by a well placed Severing Charm after he shot a Killing Curse at Potter.

Time seemed to move in slow motion as everyone watched in mute horror as the sickly green colored spell raced toward its intended victim. Gasps echoed through the Hall as Harry, with a show of unearthly dexterity, somehow managed to duck under and twist around the jet of fatal light until it a spot beside him on the bench and exploded. The two witches that had been giving him a good what for just managed to throw up some shields to protect the bystanders but the raven haired intended target was slammed into the table from the concussive force and his back was shredded by shrapnel.

The world began to move at a normal pace again and amid countless screams, Harry was rushed to the Hospital wing for treatment. Minerva McGonagall barely registered that the spell that had actually taken a life came from the wand of Sirius Black who had come in with two other men just after the shouting started.

_First Day of the Summer Holidays_

_Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall's Office_

Augusta Longbottom sat back in her chair across from her old friend and sipped her Earl Grey while she mulled over the memories she had just witnessed from the Goblin Pensieve Orb. She, Minerva and Poppy Pomphrey had all been schoolgirls together at Hogwarts though Augusta had been three years older than the other two. Of course, she had already heard about young Harry Potter's adventure because the dowager Lady Longbottom had been at the Tonks house for a strategy meeting when Filius had fire called with the news. Hearing about it had been one thing but witnessing the memory recording put what he had done into a whole new perspective.

"So a first-year, using a combination of muggle and magical means along with his intellect managed to best traps that were supposed to waylay fully trained magic users," she calmly stated after setting her tea cup down.

"Yes, Filius was quite proud of the boy and awarded his House 200 points, if I am not mistaken. It was but another example that Mister Potter provided of our own short sightedness. He made a fool of Albus after the Start of Term Feast by using information from the Ministry's public records against him," Minerva agreed and elaborated.

"Albus has a lot to answer for at the combined Staff/Board of Governors meeting today," Augusta bit out as the full ramifications of what could've happened dawned on her.

"Unfortunately, the only thing the Board can rake him over the coals for is setting up the situation but nothing more," the Deputy Headmistress admitted wearily.

"WHAT," the other witch demanded hotly.

"Albus brought the fake Philosopher's Stone to Hogwarts without telling anyone the week before school started. He said that Nicholas Flamel feared for its safety and entrusted it to him before the Alchemist and his wife went into hiding. He selected those of us that he wanted to add protections to its hiding place. After that first Staff/Board meeting, I told him that he needed to get rid of the Stone and he swore that he would take care of it. Sadly, I had taken him at his word; the cheeky bugger actually had the nerve to remind me that this indiscretion is grandfathered into his current _Probation_ because it had taken place before it was given and therefore it cannot be used against him and most of the Board will agree with Albus," McGonagall huffed in frustration.

"You forget Minerva that I am now the spokeswoman for the Old Families on the Board of Governors; leave those fools and Albus to me. Dumbledore still needs to answer for Quirrell," Augusta replied with a conspiratorial smirk.

"Too right, we were all shocked when Poppy found the Dark Mark on his left forearm when she examined the body. Of course, Albus tried to pass off some tripe about it meaning nothing more than a youthful indiscretion on Quirrell's part. Filius privately assured me that his former Claw had never joined the Death Eaters during the war. He later told me that the Mark could only have been taken during the deceased man's sabbatical last year," Minerva admitted.

The two old friends finished their drinks, rose and then made their way to the Staff Room for the meeting.

_In the Staff Room, five minutes later…_

Albus Dumbledore sat back in his chair and sucked on one of his beloved lemon drops as he tried to ponder where his plans to test the Longbottom boy and trick Tom into exposing himself had gone pear shaped while Professor Flitwick's pensieve orb replayed Potter's run for the Philosopher's Stone. Not only had the green eyed brat tied his hands at the beginning of the school year, the upstart had the gall to breeze through those challenges using minimal magic. Those teachers that had helped with the protections started to ask some very uncomfortable questions as to why the Headmaster had suggested the nature of the traps. Thankfully, the staff was distracted by Quirrell's actions so they never put the pieces together to realize just who those challenges had really been intended for. He reached for another candy only to find that the dish in front of him was empty but the house elves brought in tea and biscuits so he put it out of his mind.

"As you can see, Harry Potter used a combination of magical and muggle means to attain the gem we had been told was the Philosopher's Stone. Only a muggleborn, or half-blood raised in the muggle world, could have come up with those solutions and perfectly illustrates the lack of critical thinking in our world – not just among the children but the adults as well. Which brings us to the main purpose of this meeting…," Professor McGonagall commented after the last of the images faded but was interrupted before should could go any further.

"Forgive me, Minerva, but before we get into the Curriculum and related issues the Most Ancient and Most Noble families would like for the Headmaster to explain how a Death Eater – other than his pet – managed to infiltrate the school without his knowledge," Augusta Longbottom asked with false sweetness.

"I knew full well that Professor Quirrell was a Death Eater after he came back from his sabbatical and asked for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. His behavior was too out of character for the former Muggle Studies teacher so I used legilimancy to scan his surface memories. Thankfully, the wretch had no kind of mental shields whatsoever. That was when I decided to use a fake Philosopher's Stone to lure Voldemorte out into the open," Albus answered cavalierly and was more shocked than the rest of the Board of Governors and Hogwarts Staff. He looked aghast down at his tea cup as realization dawned on him.

"Yes, Dumbledore, it is well known among all of us that you lace your lemon drops with a Calming Draught. The effects of that would mask those of the Veritaserm I had placed in your tea and knowing that you are a Master Occlumens I doubled the maximum dose to guarantee that we would get truthful answers. And to quell any protests, I must point out that the Board does have the authority to use Veritaserum when making inquiries about threats to the school," the formidable witch stated bluntly and confirmed the Headmaster's worst fears.

For the next half hour, the former Regent of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom interrogated Dumbledore with the zeal that would have impressed most members of the Spanish Inquisition. Emotions ran high as his machinations during the past school year were exposed; use of minor memory charms on the staff to make them accept his lie about moving the fake Stone, etc. They even learned the truth about how Albus shielded Professor Snape by making sure that any official complaints or requests by parents and faculty never made it past his desk. At the end of the questioning, the Headmaster reminded everyone of the same thing he'd told to Minerva about how he couldn't be further penalized because his actions were grandfathered into his existing probation; as Harry Potter's life hadn't been threatened during his bid for the Stone there was nothing that could be done, much to everybody's displeasure.

The rest of the meeting continued on in a direction that made Albus Dumbledore's day even worse. First, the newly revised Hogwarts Charter was unanimously ratified (the Headmaster was unable to vote due to his probation). Next, the professors gave their recommendations for new course materials which were approved to be purchased from vendors outside of Magical Britain (thus outside Albus' control). Applications for new staff hires were then discussed and this was the only time the Headmaster caught a break. Due to a confirmed curse put upon the position, he'd anticipated the loss of Quirrell and had already hired his replacement for the next school year. Because the contract had already been signed, Gilderoy Lockhart could not be replaced as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. To balance that out, a short list of candidates for Associate Professors in Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Potions was selected; they would be responsible for second, fourth and sixth year classes. Binns was terminated and exorcised from the castle at his request so Minerva was tasked with finding a suitable living replacement. The Sorting Ceremony was suspended until the new first years for the coming term reached their fourth year then it would be held during fourth year from then on. The last thing on the agenda was setting up a new Introduction to the Wizarding World course for the last two weeks of August for incoming muggleborns.

_Three hours later; the Tonks Residence_

Dan Granger had been a very busy man since Christmas; between strategy sessions with the Family as they'd taken to calling themselves, trying to develop a program to give the Aurors some military level training and his duties as a Regent, he'd been swamped. It still amazed him that the magical bureaucracy seemed to generate twice the paperwork as its mundane counterpart. After almost six months, he'd finally cleared out the In box at his home office and nearly had a stroke after looking over the contents of the last packet it contained. Once he'd gotten over the initial shock, he knew that he was in way over his head and raced to the one place he'd find some much needed help.

The Tonks house was buzzing with an undercurrent of excitement because the kids were coming home from Hogwarts today. While Andromeda, Emma Granger and Perenelle Flamel prepared a welcome back dinner in the kitchen, Ted, Nicholas Flamel and Sirius Black were enjoying an afternoon football match on the tellie. All activity in the house stopped when Dan rushed inside in a borderline panic. The women came out of the kitchen to see what was the fuss was about as the men waited for the friend to catch his breath and explain what was wrong.

"Thirty-five… thirty-five…," the Granger patriarch stammered before he had to stop to take some deep breathes and continued, "I finished up that backlog of paperwork and found a packet of thirty-five betrothal contract offers for Hermione."

Emma Granger stared at her husband in disbelief and looked like she was about to get hysterical. The witches and wizards shared a meaningful glance then Perenelle disappeared back into the kitchen to get a couple of glasses of water for there panicking friends. Andromeda guided the couple over to the couch and gently pushed them down into it as the water arrived. After the two had gulped down both glassfuls, they temporarily forgot about their disturbing news as they watched their friends play a furious round of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Perenelle Flamel was the ultimate loser and she squared her shoulders before she sat down on the coffee table in front of Dan and Emma.

"I hope you can forgive us, we should've expected something like this to happen but we've all been pretty busy since Christmas and it slipped our minds," the raven haired immortal witch began.

"YOU MEAN THAT YOU KNEW THIS COULD HAPPEN AND DIDN'T WARN US," Dan shouted but both his wife and Perenelle placed their hands on his shoulders as a calming gesture and he settled back to wait for an explanation.

"There are a lot of things that you should've been made aware of but just got lost in the shuffle with everything else going on but the bottom line is to all if it is that Hermione is a witch; that means that she's been regularly masturbating since the first month of school and more than likely been having sex with one or more girls in her dorm. (She gave both Grangers a stern look that kept both Grangers from interrupting her.)

"Being born with the ability to do magic is a blessing that comes with a cost. As a witch's or wizard's magical core develops, it has an affects their physiology in both the short and long terms. In the long term, it grants them a very long life. Whereas in the short term, it causes them to enter into puberty faster and being in an environment of highly concentrated magic like Hogwarts only stimulates the situation. To burn off the excess magic and raging hormones, they frequently need to achieve _release_. It is for that very reason that young witches are put on a Contraception Potion during the Start of Term Feast and are encouraged to be with their dorm mates. That usually keeps them from having sex with a boy until around their fourth year but it's not a guarantee. I guess you could think of it as though, biologically, we are stuck in the middle ages when it wasn't uncommon for a thirteen-year-old girl to have had at least one child with her husband.

"On the sociological, political and economical levels our culture – at least as far as the Magical UK goes – is trapped with one foot solidly in the Elizabethan Era and the other wedged firmly in the Victorian Age. That dichotomy is clearly reflected in our laws and how our aristocracy acts. One of the ways of the Noble Houses interact is through Betrothal/Marriage Contracts. While it may seem like it's barbaric to you – and Andi and I among others fully agree – the daughters of a Noble House are seen as being nothing more than chattel to be bartered or outright sold off for money and influence. Very few pureblood marriages of this social level are for love.

"That being said, there is one way for witch, regardless of standing, can avoid that fate; the Witch's Prerogative allows for the daughter of a Noble House to conceive a child to carry on the Family name with a random wizard (or witch if both partners are powerful enough). Once the child is born then the daughter is seen to have done her _duty_ and is free to live her life in the manner of her choosing and can never be disowned.

"Because of the alliances that the Noble House of Pellinore already has, Hermione will be very influential but she will still be a woman and as a general rule most Houses are patriarchal. You should really look at your Family Grimoire to see if that is the case because your daughter will only have a limited window to change that when she comes of age. One thing you need to understand is that if the House seeking the contract only has a single heir then it will normally be worded so that the man inherits the Pellinore title and the main family line dies out as your House will be absorbed by the groom's.

"As I see it, you really have only have three choices; either you knock up Emma again and she gives birth to a wizard, Hermione formally opts to take the Witch's Prerogative or you set a contract between her and Neville or her and Harry as a secondary wife," Perenelle explained but was interrupted before she could complete it.

"What do you mean by _Secondary Wife_," Dan asked while Emma questioned at the same time, "How does that whole Witch's Prerogative work?"

"Remember how I said that a Noble House's male heir would inherit the Pellinore title and absorb the name into his House? If Hermione held fast to not forsaking the Pellinore name then she can become a secondary wife. That means that she would still be married but forced to share her husband with one or more women; his chosen Lady and any other secondary wives he can afford. The main difference between the secondary and the chosen wife is that the Family magic would assure that any children of the secondary retained the mother's family name and be unable to inherit their father's title.

"As to the other, you know that every Noble Family has a Family Grimoire; a book that contains the family's Charter as well as history and any spells, potions, discovers, etc. of its members which comprise the Family Magic. When a daughter opts for the Witch's Prerogative, she places her right hand upon the Grimoire and swears by her magic to honor her family by producing a child. From that point until the child is born, the Family Magic treats her as if she was a male with all the rights and double standards associated with that distinction. That means that she can be as promiscuous as she wants be until her majority and the Heir's Compulsion takes over and she finds a suitable candidate to produce a child with. Once that baby is born, she is once more considered and daughter/scion of her House but retains the right of male heirs to keep a lover/mistress.

"Now, if you don't want an angry witch on your hands then I suggest that talk this over with Hermione sometime tonight. She has the perfect support network because Nymphadora, Gemini, Daphne, Tracey and even Fleur were raised in both mundane and wizarding traditions. Before the kids get home, we should go through the contracts and sort them into piles of which families are just looking for an alliance and those trying to improve their standing. Then after you go over the candidates in the first pile with your daughter; the Longbottom's along with the Greengrasses and Tracy and her grandfather will be here for a barbeque so you can talk to Frank about a possible secondary wife contract. A contract that while binding gives both parties with an escape clause if either finds true love; Harry should be considered only as a last resort because he's already under two contracts right now," the immortal witch finally finished.

It took nearly an hour before Dan and Emma processed what they'd just learned but, thankfully, the others used the time to go through the contracts and weed out the bad ones. Of the thirty-five contracts, only seven just wanted to form an alliance and the rest were after the Pellinore status. The two older Grangers eventually reviewed the seven contracts before the entire group headed out to King's Cross Station to pick up the kids. The newcomers to Britain's wizarding society weren't happy at the prospect of a sexually active pre-teen or marriage contracts in general but they knew that they'd work through their issues as a family. Unknown to Dan, Emma had already decided that they were going to start working on a brother for Hermione.

_Later that night; The Department of Mysteries_

Algernon Croaker, Head Unspeakable, sat at his desk reading over a report when he looked up as a grey cloaked Unspeakable came in with their cowl up to obscure their features; not that matter for Croaker could see through the concealment charm on the hood. The androgynous agent placed a pensieve globe on the table.

"We were right; Isis performed the Reliquary Ritual on her son, Harry. There are times when she or James can exert some level of control over him to interact with their daughter," the Unspeakable stated tonelessly as she tapped a rune on the globe and the two watched images of the Potter twins and their friends from the past school year.

After the images faded, Croaker nodded as if a suspicion was confirmed then commented, "Very impressive. This has to be the first time since the 1970's that we've had the majority of two separate Triads at Hogwarts. The Llywelyn Heirs will be difficult to reach this summer because she will be starting her druidic training but I'll inform Sphinx to give the children and the Delacour girl the Enigma test; let's see how well they do with the introduction to Games and Theory then you can go and recruit them if they pass, Nova. I just finished up reading the report on Miss Delacour from our French division and she's just as impressive as the others. Fleur, Harry and Daphne will make one hell of a Triad; the same with Gemini, Tracy and that Hermione Granger girl."

The other Unspeakable nodded before they stood up and left. People nervously got out of Nova's way as they made their way out of the Department of Mysteries then to the lift that would take them up to the Public Floos. A pinch of floo powder, a burst of green flame after a silently cast Notice-me-not Charm and Nova stepped out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron. Thanks to the spell, nobody noticed when the grey robes transfigured into a sexy muggle-style outfit. Aurora Sinistra, Hogwarts Astronomy teacher, entered Diagon Alley to meet the other two members of her Triad for a late dinner – Septima Vector (Artisan) and Bathshiba Babbling (Enchantress). Afterward, the three would go home for a little fun before making plans to meet up with their potential recruits.

_Meanwhile in Gemini's Bedroom at the Tonks Residence…_

Gemini Potter lay in her bed, her body vibrating with pleasure. As soon as the others called it a night and went to bed, she'd snuck down to the Dueling Room in the basement and practiced some of the minor Dark Jinxes from La Petite Grimoire for the past couple of hours. She was about to burn off some more energy when a longing to keep reading the book gripped her. The girl pulled the tome from her school trunk and opened it to the next section. Gemini read the page repeatedly for the next several minutes and committed it to memory. She licked her lips in anticipation of performing the ritual the first chance she had to be alone.

**AN: Sorry for the delay in getting this out but real life has been hectic. Next chapter should hopefully be up next week. Next chapter will deal with Harry's punishment as well as a surprise that everyone should like.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Unchained**

Ch. 12: Summer Punishment

_July 20__th__, 1992_

_Potter Vacation Villa; French Riviera_

Harry Potter sat at the desk in his bedroom and thought that this summer had been the worst of his short existence as he stared out the window that overlooked the private beach below. His two fiancés, Fleur and Daphne, were lounging on towels in his direct line of sight wearing matching sets of the tiniest bikinis he'd ever seen. The fact the two witches were snogging each other senseless wasn't helping improve his mood any. It was yet another part of his punishment for the whole Stone affair that bordered on cruel and unusual. In fact, he was almost certain that they were putting him through was a violation of the Geneva Convention; not that they seemed to care. Somehow, Daphne's part in the whole caper from the end of last term had been glossed over.

From the moment he'd walked through the door back home, Aunt Andi and Gran P pounced on him. The irate women dragged him into the study by his ears then laid their heavy handed judgment – he was grounded for the summer. Harry had been fine with that, at first, until he learned the full extent of the punishment. Firstly, he was forbidden from doing any magic – including muggle illusions. Gran P had confiscated his wands and Vanishing Cabinet as soon as that was revealed. That meant that after he'd finished his summer homework, he was going to be limited to nothing but theory until school started. Secondly, the only times that he was able to go outside is when accompanied by an adult (generally when they were running errands). Thirdly, he was prohibited from being in a room alone with his betrothed.

His original thought after the punishment had been handed down was that it could've been worse. Now, he kicked himself for jinxing the whole thing. Harry woke up the next morning and was surprised when Uncle Ted told him to hurry up and pack because the family was spending the rest of the summer at the Potter villa in France. The thought of possibly seeing Fleur again pushed every other thought from his head and he was ready and packed in record time. The raven haired boy's excitement mounted as he felt the familiar hook and jerk behind his navel when the international portkey activated. Then the reality of just how wrong that earlier thought regarding his punishment crashed upon him.

Fleur Delacour had walked over from her family's villa which was the closest estate and waited for their arrival in the entry hall. When the spinning sensation of the magical transport stopped, the blonde French witch was the first thing that Harry was able to focus on. Unfortunately, he had no way to anticipate that he was about to face the beautiful veela's ire. He'd just adopted his trade marked lopsided grin when he felt the sting of her hand slapping his cheek as she berated him for his stupidity in her native tongue. The bottom line was that Fleur was still pissed and added to his punishment by completely cutting him off. After what they'd done over the Christmas holidays, the three betrothed had shared several letters once school started and agreed to slow things down until both Harry and Daphne were older. He'd looked forward to some alone time with his witches but now it appeared that not only was there going to be no alone time but he wasn't going to be getting any snogging or anything else from either stunning blonde.

To make matters even more torturous, there had been several shopping trips in which he, Uncle Ted and Nick were forced to play pack mule. Harry had to sit there and watch while his girls shared kisses and chaste touches while being gawked at by hormonal guys that kept making crude comments in various languages. The only bright point came when Fleur got fed up then went all veela and threw fireballs at one persistent letch that continually made unwanted overtures. Fleur and Daphne had never gone too far with their displays of affection but it looked as if that was no longer the case today. Despite his decent occulemency shields, his subconscious had had enough and something happened that hadn't since he was a small boy. With an agonizing cry of pain which could be heard throughout the house and all the way to the beach, Harry lost control of his metamophmagus ability and lost himself.

Andromeda Tonks, Perenelle Flamel and Apolline Delacour were the first ones on the scene followed quickly by the bikini clad younger witches and Gemini; the men had gone out to play a couple of round of golf. What they found had Daphne and Fleur crying in panic while the older women tried to get their wizard into bed. Harry's body rippled and stretched as it rapidly shifted forms. He barely held a body for more than a couple of seconds before he morphed into the next. Gemini raced over to his desk and pulled opened drawers looking for the emergency kit Harry always kept. She found it then opened the case and removed three vials of potions which she carried over to the bed. Harry fought and writhed so it was almost impossible for the older witches to keep the boy still to take the potions; which could only happen if he stayed in one form.

Something passed between Fleur and her future sister-wife which vibrated through their entire beings. As one, she and Daphne forced their way onto the bed and cut between Harry and those trying to help him. The two younger witches instinctively wrapped their arms around the one who was destined to be their husband. As soon as the twin embraces closed, Harry's body slipped back into his true form and held but he passed out. Perenelle banished the contents of the three vials into the stomach of her grandson and the group watched as his featured relaxed in his sleep. Gemini turned on her friend and the older blonde with fury in her eyes.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT," she screamed then took a few deep breaths before she continued, "Harry has done nothing but sit there and take it as the pair of you abused situation and tortured him with you antics. He told me that Fleur had a right to be angry about what he did but the truth was that he was never in any danger because a professor was with him the whole time. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

Gemini stormed off and left a room full of witches consumed with guilt and shame. Andi and Peri felt bad because Harry had never argued when they grounded him. In fact, there had been something in his eyes that made them think that he was secretly thrilled that there were people that were acting like parents. Apolline, like the other adults, felt guilty that she hadn't put a stop to the younger girls' antics. While withholding intimacy from a mate was a standard tactic of women the world over, the girls had dragged it out and they were all facing the results. Eventually, the three adults left the room to fix lunch.

Harry slowly came back to the land of the living to the pleasant sensation of two soft feminine bodies pressed into him. Memories of what happened earlier came back and just for a moment a little devil popped up on his shoulder and told him to milk this for all it was worth. The green eyed boy gave it passing consideration but like anyone with a Y chromosome, it was difficult to stay mad at the lovely witches while cocooned between them. His maturing pre-teen mind started to flash images of all the naughty bad fun the threesome could have and naturally his hormonal body responded. Naturally, the two girls noticed; they snuggled even closer then started to gently kissing all over his face.

"You forgive us Harry," they asked huskily between kisses. What male stood a chance against such a delectable tag-team?

"No more punishment," he queried and was very happy when his girls agreed so he gave each a tender kiss on the lips. Of course, that lead to a major snogging session as the trio made up for lost time until they were called down to lunch.

The day that had already started to look up improved even more. During lunch, Andi and Peri decided to end Harry's punishment completely. Tomorrow was looking even brighter because the whole Family was going to join the Delacour's for a day of fun on their yacht. Narcissa, Draco and Remus Lupin were going to portkey in just before dinner; while Sirius, Angelique and Marie Malfoy were set to arrive from the Veela Colony where the self-proclaimed Dogfather and the ladies enjoyed the last couple of weeks.

_Later that night in the Dueling Room in the basement of the Villa…_

The target dummy lay in pieces at the other end of the dueling platform; obvious proof that the dark hexes had done their job admirably. Unfortunately, Gemini Potter was beyond caring about that fact at the moment because all of her focus was on the aftershocks of the orgasm that left her breathless. When she was finally able to think straight, all she wanted was to feel that again. The redheaded witch felt the all too familiar seductive pull and crawled on her hands and knees over to the slender volume that haunted her thoughts from the moment her friend, Cho, had given it to her. Gemini opened the tome then caresses the parchment pages like a long lost lover.

Tingles of pleasure rippled through her body as her fingers gently stroked each page. With delicious slowness, she finally reached the page after the one that contained the spell she'd most recently used and her body was already tense with the need for another blissful release. Her eyes grew wide and a shudder of anticipation went down her spine as she read not about another new spell but the directions for a ritual. Part of her wondered what greater heights of ecstasy might be had from it. Quickly, Gemini flew about the room searching for the necessary materials to complete the ritual but was unable to find anything. She knew most of the stuff was up in her room but the need for release forced her to shelve that plan in favor of the more expedient method of casting her new spell.

The young witch turned back to a different target dummy on the platform and raised her wand. This had been the first time since leaving school that she'd given in to the urge to use the book. Before the end of term, Tracy had offered the perfect distraction but her blonde friend wasn't here. Thoughts of the other girl caused Gemini's chest to tighten and the wand slipped from her fingers. For the life of her, the Ravenclaw hadn't been able to figure out why she missed her friend so badly or that her absence made the redhead's heart hurt. With her mood sufficiently shattered, the girl that had recently found out she was named the Flamel Heiress cleaned up her mess then headed back to her room to write Tracy.

The ghost known to many as The Grey Lady had watched the Potter girl invisibly, at the request of the current Head of Ravenclaw House, as the girl had given in to temptation then somehow pulled herself out of the thrall of the Dark Magic. The young witch might not have understood why she stopped but the specter that'd kept tabs on her throughout the last term understood and wondered how long it would take her to figure out. That wasn't to say that the book still a threat but it was yet another sign that the girl might just throw off Rowena's curse.

_Meanwhile, in merry old England…_

The beautiful Chinese girl was bent over and secured to the bondage frame as the fat wizard grunted while he sodomized her. The man had only lasted two thrusts when she felt him cum. She was released from the frame then left to return to her room. It had been nearly a month since she'd come to the Hell Fire Club but for her, it was as if she'd always been there. Her mind went all fuzzy whenever she tried to think back to her life before coming here so she eventually stopped trying. She doubted if there was anything important to remember and she was enjoying being used for pleasure and pain to care.

It was only after she got back to her room and turned in for the evening that her memories returned. Cho Chang cried herself to sleep while she remembered everything that she'd lost. She'd thought that she'd spend the summer planning her next move to get to Harry but those hopes were dashed when her older sister met her at King's Cross Station. She was side-along apparated to an unknown manor where Cho was forced into a study where her father sat with another man.

Her father was furious as he told her that he knew all about what she'd done at school; from her Quidditch locker room indiscretions to her plan to use Gemini Potter to get to her brother. His judgment was final and terrible; if she wanted to act like a common whore then that is what she would be. Cho was disowned then sold to the other man to use as entertainment for the Hell Fire Club. Her master bound her magic then cursed her not to remember anything during the hours she was… _working_.

_July 21__st__, 1992_

_Café Nior; French Riviera_

Narcissa Black (she smiled whenever she thought about when she resumed her maiden name) sat at an outside table and enjoyed people watching while she waited for her coffee and croissant. She'd told the others that she was opting out of the days planned activity to enjoy some shopping. Without looking behind her and after casting several unbreakable privacy charms, the divorcee spoke.

"It's been a long time Nova," Narcissa called out conversationally.

"Too long my dear Snake Charmer," Aurora Sinistra replied as she came up from behind the other witch then dropped into the chair next to her.

Conversation stopped when the waiter brought two orders to the table. The two Unspeakables took a moment to enjoy a sip of the coffee and nibble on their pastries.

"Croaker has reactivated you; he wants you to go in for debriefing when you get back to London," Sinistra broke the silence.

The other witch nodded the commented, "I take it that the Department has taken an interest in the Potter twins and their friends."

"Yes, they are about to be given the Enigma Test and I'll be around to talk to them if they pass it," the newcomer admitted.

_At the marina…_

Harry and everyone were still confused about the encounter they'd just had with a young blonde haired witch that was handing out free copies of the Quibbler. The girl was a bit strange but seemed harmless so they put it out of their heads and continued on to the Ethereal Maiden, the Delacour's yacht.


	14. Chapter 14

**Unchained**

Ch. 13: Meetings, Discoveries and Contracts

_Still July 21__st__, 1992_

_Potter Vacation Villa, French Riviera; Later that evening_

While the adults settled out on the deck overlooking the beach to catch up with the new arrivals, Fleur Delacour – like the other _children_ – was reading her copy of the Quibbler that she'd been given by that strange blonde girl. Something was off about the magazine but it had taken a second time through for the intelligent French teen to figure out what it was; every seventh letter in every line of each article was slightly offset from the rest of the text. It wasn't long after that discovery that veela witch realized that the offset letters formed some kind of code. With a smirk when it appeared that nobody else had figured it out, Fleur grabbed her magazine then slipped off to the library to solve the puzzle.

After several hours of work she finally cracked the message, which was a feat in and of itself. The code actually turned out to be three separate ciphers; the offset letters were a simple letter substitution. Next, the new letters were a reverse Ottendorf Cipher – each letter represented a number. Those numbers in turn were a Cryptic Code in which each referred to a word in a key text. Luckily, Fleur guessed that the text in question was the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which was mentioned briefly in the article about Crumple-horned Snorkaks. Most of what she discovered was gibberish except for one message.

_Café Nior; Monday, noon._

Despite some initial reservations, Fleur decided that somebody had gone through an awful lot of trouble to get her that message so she decided to go. She was startled when she heard a voice behind her.

"I know you weren't planning on going to that meeting alone," Harry drawled casually from the doorway and the French girl noticed Daphne and Gemini behind him.

The rest of the time before bed was spent coming up with a plan for the mysterious meeting.

_Granger Residence, England_

Hermione Granger was ensconced in her recently heavily warded basement laboratory when she should've been sleeping because she needed to release some pent up tension. From the moment the young witch returned home, her parents had been acting strange; they'd even gone so far as to cancel their original vacation plans in favor of meeting up with her friends at the Potter vacation home on the Riviera. Whenever the bushy haired girl tried to find out what was up with her mom and dad, they'd get nervous before they changed the subject but that was always her father's doing. Hermione had come to believe her mother wanted to tell her the truth.

To make matters worse, the two adults had gotten their hands on a few cases of Stamina Potions and rarely left their room except for meals. Their time behind closed doors was spent going at it like a couple of rabid hyenas; if the near constant screams of passion were any indication. Hermione had taken to barricading herself in her room behind multiple layers of Silencing Charms to keep from pouring bleach straight into her brain to remove the images the sounds from her parent's room elicited. She managed to complete all of her summer homework and had recently started reading her ancestor's, Tesla's, Grimoire. Of course, decoding the secret message in that strange magazine, The Quibbler, had provided a slight distraction.

The young girl read the passage in the Grimoire lain out on the lab table once more then turned to the training dummy on the south wall to her right. She raised her wand, flicked her wrist in the appropriate movement while shouting, "Electro Reducto!"

The air crackled and the room filled with a blue light as a lightning bolt shot from the wand and exploded the dummy when it struck. In the concussive blowback, Hermione was thrown into the opposite wall. When she shook her head clear and rose to her feet, her bushy brown hair stuck out wildly and small electrical sparks jumped along the ends. After a quick once over to assure that she was uninjured, a mad smile broke out on her face.

"I LIKE IT," Hermione laughed as she bounced up and down excitedly.

_July 22__nd__, 1992_

_Café Noir, noon_

The Grangers had arrived at the Potter Villa earlier that morning and the Longbottom family would show up tomorrow. A joint birthday party was going to be held for the twins and Neville on the 29th, and then Longbottoms were going to spend their son's actual birthday touring some of the magical greenhouses in the Northern part of the country. It wasn't long before everyone caught up with each other and the adults went off and left the kids to their own devices.

"So, I take it you all got a copy of The Quibbler and decoded the hidden message," Hermione commented the second she was sure she and her friends were alone.

"Oui," Fleur answered for herself and the twins. Draco was still in his room writing a letter to one of his friends so the French girl felt safe answering her.

The group, minus the Malfoy heir, headed to town for a _shopping trip_ and tossed around several theories about their mysterious meeting. General consensus leaned toward it being some kind of elaborate joke. Hermione and Daphne thought it felt like something that the Weasley twins cooked up to get back at Harry for stealing their thunder during the last school year. The self-proclaimed Master Pranksters had been heard muttering about getting even because their honor demanded. Gemini was of the opinion that Draco was the culprit; why else would he have stayed sequestered in his room _writing a friend_. It was well known that outside of the collective Family, his only other real friend was Terry Boot and he was on his cruise with his parents. Therefore, it was doubtful he would be writing Terry. Fleur and Harry were doubtful about the whole prank theory but had adopted a watch and see stance.

At exactly noon, the group arrived at the café and started to feel foolish when they believed that they'd been had. Just as they were about to head off to show Hermione the sights a voice called out from a secluded section of the café's patio.

"I'm glad you were able to find the message and make this meeting," the familiar female voice commented happily. The Hogwarts students lead Fleur in the direction of their Astronomy Professor, Aurora Sinistra.

"Professor Sinistra, I take it this is not some kind of prank. I'll even go so far as to say that it was you that was monitoring us during school," Harry replied and the girls to gasp in shock because he'd never really mentioned anything about being watched by anyone other than Flitwick.

"Quite correct Mr. Potter, my Triad and I have been under orders to keep an eye out for talented witches and wizards to invite into our ranks. You four along with Miss Davis have proven to be the most talented prospects in a number of years. Our operatives have said similar things about Miss Delacour as well. In fact, this is the first time since I was in school that Hogwarts has seen the possible recruitment of two complete Triads – well nearly complete Triads as Miss Delacour still goes to school here in France," the older witch confirmed his suspicion.

"What is all this talk of recruiting and Triads," Fleur asked while Hermione nodded in agreement with the question.

"The Unspeakables – they field teams made up of three agents called Triads. Our mother was one and she told me that two such teams had been recruited while she was in school," Gemini answered and the professor grinned because it looked like part of might have already been taken care of by Isis.

"Isis (your mother), Snake Charmer and Rogue formed one Triad while myself (Nova), Artisan and Enchantress made up the second. We were all recruited during our second year, the same as I am doing with you members of the Hogwarts contingent. We haven't had an active agent inside Beauxbatons in nearly twenty years otherwise Miss Delacour would've been offered a place with us sooner," Aurora clarified then waited for them to digest that bit of information.

"What exactly do Unspeakables do? What would be expected of us? How would we be divided up? What's in it for us if we say yes," Daphne and Hermione shot out together in rapid succession. The professor laughed at their enthusiasm and was thankful their table was warded with the most powerful privacy and silencing charms.

"Think of the Unspeakables as being a combination of Q-branch, the 00's, the Legacy* and the Library of Alexandria rolled up in one. We research and develop new applications of magic; run intelligence missions and the occasional Black-ops to ensure the protection of the magical world from all threats – inside and out; investigate magical mysteries and finally act as a repository of all magical knowledge so that it never lost. The muggles know us as the Illuminati, the conspiracy within the conspiracy. We exist outside of any government and yet operate freely within them all without them being any the wiser about what we truly do. The Unspeakables were around before there were any magical governments and were already ancient by the time Merlin called for the first Wizard's Council in Britain.

"As for what we expect of you, for the moment we simply want you all to learn. During the next few years my Triad and I will act as your Control; we will teach you the basics that form the foundation of everything the Unspeakables do. The quicker you all master those, the faster we will be able to move on the… _fun stuff_. By the time you graduate, you will each have at least a couple of Masteries – one in a general subject and another in a more specialized field. Each Triad will have also completed a few training missions which will help the boss determine which section you are best suited for.

"The two Triads will be: Gemini Potter, Tracy Davis and Hermione Granger-Pellinore; then Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass and Fleur Delacour. While it is not expected for you to become romantically involved with your teammates, it isn't exactly discouraged either because the best Triads are usually made up of lovers. Each member of my Triad was a witches witch so it seemed only natural that we entered into a three-way relationship. The members of Isis' Triad were all involved in monogamous relationships with other people and never crossed that line but that never stopped them from becoming an excellent team. The dynamics of each team is the sole purview of its members.

"Now then, the benefit of becoming an Unspeakable depends entirely on you. You could become a full time operative working in the Department of Mysteries in R&D, Archivist or Investigator. Most of our people fall under the classification of Sleepers; people that hold ordinary jobs until they are tapped for specific missions. They are Teachers, Healers, Merchants, Politicians, Dilettantes, and thanks to a separate treaty with the goblins – Cursebreakers. As each of you is a future leader in our world, I would think that a combination of the above would work best for you. As your Control, my teammates and I will work with you to develop your specific covers. Regardless of what you all decide, Miss Davis has already agreed to sign up," Aurora explained then dropped the charms and flagged down a passing waiter to bring a round of drinks.

"I'm in," both Gemini and Hermione chimed simultaneously as soon as the server was out of earshot.

Fleur and Daphne were engaged in a silent conversation but stopped the moment Harry opened his mouth. The Astronomy Professor was grinning like a cat in the cream when she saw the look in eyes.

"You already know what I'm going to say but let me make it official. Daph and Fleur both want to be Cursebreakers and travel. I'd bet my trust vault that your treaty with the goblins allows for a better percentage of the cut so it'd be stupid to pass up this opportunity. Besides we don't abandon our friends and they'd kill me if I didn't agree to this… so we're in as well," the raven haired wizard confirmed while his two fiancés nodded smugly before they kissed him.

Aurora was still smiling as she pulled out a folder from the purse at her feet then distributed the contracts it contained among the youngsters. Next came a blood quill and as each one signed their document, they glowed briefly then disappeared. She reaffirmed that the new recruits were to receive their training schedules back at school then explained that arrangements had been made for Fleur to take a secure portkey once every other month to a special training facility to work with her team mates. The meeting ended and the older witch left the others to salvage the rest of their day.

Fleur decided that to process what had just happened to them some mindless shopping was in order. The French teen guided her friends and lovers to the nearest clothing boutique which coincidentally sold lingerie. Halfway to their destination, a group of mundane boys intercepted Daphne and started to flirt with her. Before anyone registered what happened, Harry physically attacked the fools then tried to wrap around his intended once they other boys fled. The raven haired wizard was beyond reason and the group as a whole started to panic. With a pang of regret, the older veela stunned her future husband the second they were able to get away from prying eyes

An ingeniously applied Levitation Charm allowed the girls to _carry_ Harry back to the villa while making it look like they were supporting their sick friend. Gemini used her cell phone to alert the adults so that they would be prepared when the group returned. Thankfully, Ted Tonks, Sirius Black and Dan Granger rushed to their location to take over moving the unconscious boy. The girls were already in panic mode and the adults weren't far behind but Dan's military and basic medical training kept everybody on task; back at the villa, Emma was the one that did the same. By the time the party returned home, everything was ready to go.

The other mothers took their lead from Emma Granger and had even gone as far to fire call Professor Gwen Proteus, who arrived seconds later. Under the direction of the three medical professionals, Harry was laid out on a transfigured cot in the living room and Gwen cast several diagnostic spells, some highly specialized, then surprised everyone by turning her wand on Gemini and Daphne and cast the same series of spells on them. The professor opened up the medical bag she'd brought with her and removed three potions vials. The first she handed to the red haired witch and ordered her to drink it. Next she revived her primary patient and there were several gasps when his eyes fluttered open to reveal the familiar green orbs split by reptilian pupils. She forced the young man to drink one of the remained potions then ended the transfiguration on the cot so that it returned to being a couch then directed everyone to sit down.

"Before I get into a new twist to this case, I need to go over some recent events then go backwards from there. Now, just after I arrived I was informed that Harry had a particularly bad episode recently," Gwen began then continued when she received nods from Andromeda and Perenelle.

"What I need to know is if his bedroom window was open at the time?"

"Yeah, it was a bit stuffy in my room so I opened the window to get some air," Harry rasped a confirmation.

"And Daphne and Fleur had been sunbathing on the beach outside your window before they started to make out," the professor asked and Harry nodded while his two fiancés blushed.

"Well that confirms a few things I'd been anticipating for a while now in regards to you and your sister. It seems that your animal instincts and aspects of their natures have started to bleed through without either of you realizing or being prepared for it. I wondered when that would start; now that it has, we can plan accordingly. The potions that I gave the two of you will help dull your animal instincts," she explained before she turned her attention to Daphne and Fleur.

"What I need to know from you two is if anything strange has happened since the two of you met," Proteus inquired with a clinical tone. The two younger witches blushed but went into deep thought.

"When we first met, while waiting for our 'Arry, something like a shock passed between us as we sat together on the couch; it happened again the night the three of us made our contracts binding," Fleur admitted sheepishly.

"Ever since we got here, I've felt drawn to do more than just kiss Fleur," Daphne added embarrassed.

Gwen nodded then took a moment to gather her thoughts before she pushed forward, "I preface this by stating that while being acknowledged as an expert on magical genetic conditions, I know very little about Veela magic and how it relates to multi-spousal relationships. I can assume that there have been cases of veela in such situations?"

"Yes, it is not uncommon for two or more veela to bond with a single wizard," Apolline agreed but not seeing what that had to do with anything.

"But this is the first time in our history that a single veela has been in such a situation," Marie interjected as Angelique nodded in affirmation. Then the only two full veela gasped as they understood where the professor was going with her question.

"I see that Angelique and Marie have guessed what I'm about to say. It is my hypothesis that a single veela can't be in a multi-spousal marriage with a non-veela sister-wife because her magic demands that both witches be on an equal footing. Fleur knew that she was going to be forced into such a relationship but thanks to constant correspondence between her, Daphne and Harry, she was not only able to come to terms with the situation but developed a heartfelt desire to make it work. All veela marriages end with a Veela Love Bond. I believe that when these two girls first met, Fleur's magic started the Bond with her future sister-wife and started to subtly change Daphne. While she will not become a veela, she has developed one of their principle traits – the Allure.

"Veela Allure is both magical and physiological. The magical aspect is an empathic aura that causes a potential mate to see their perfect lover. On the physiological side, veela produce pheromones to attract a mate. It is a combination of the two that turns men into drooling idiots that would do anything to impress a veela and get them into bed.

"While working with Nymphadora and Harry on their Occlumency, I also helped prepare him to deal with Fleur's allure. It never occurred to me that Daphne and Fleur would start to Bond or the potential consequences. Daphne's unexpected new gift and the emergence of Harry's animal instincts was a time bomb waiting to happen," Gwen explained and the stunned expressions of her audience would've been funny under different circumstances.

The rest of the evening was spent discussion ways to deal with the new wrinkle that the professor had presented them with. While the adults went over what potions Harry and Daphne would need once they returned to school until both learned some control, the raven haired pre-teen was happily wedged between his two betrothed to keep his instincts in check. Of course Gemini and Hermione acted as chaperones so that nothing beyond a good snogging occurred.

Neville and his family arrived the next morning and the remainder of the time before the joint birthday party almost back to normal. The Longbottom's were filled in just in case something happened but with the exception of a couple of incidents when the collective families were out and about, nothing major occurred. The two near incidents were handled by Daphne taking a step behind Harry and pressing herself into his back while Fleur pressed into his other side. This caused the mundane to look at them funny but kept the young wizard's animal nature in check.

The birthday party went off without a hitch and everyone had a blast but it was obvious that something was weighing on the elder Grangers. After everything was cleaned up then put away, they asked to speak with the whole group in the living. The rest of the adults guessed what was to come but Hermione was taken by surprise when her parents talked about being inundated with marriage contracts for her. After a lengthy conversation, Dan cut to the chase.

"I want to set up a contract for Hermione with either Neville or Harry…"

**AN: Sorry this is late getting posted but real life has a way of getting in the way of writing. The next chapter will start Harry and Co's second year but this is the part where you get to help with a plot point. Should Hermione be contracted to one of the boys or should she hook up with Gemini and Tracy?**


	15. Chapter 15

**An open letter to : PLEASE READ**

I recently received an alert from the Administrators of this site that my story, The Care and Feeding of Zombies, had been deleted from the site for violating the its rules and story guidelines. At first I was a bit upset but then I skimmed through the guidelines and realized that they were correct in their action because I happened to use the word "Bitches" within the body of the summary. All I needed to do was replace that one word then upload the story again but I put that on the back burner as I was working on updating a couple of my fics. The updates weren't going as well as I would've liked so a couple of days later I started looking for new chapters to some stories I was following. Imagine my shock when I found Author's Notes explaining that as of 6/4/2012 the administrators of were going to start taking down all stories that contained lemons and graphic violence.

Once I got over my shock, I understood that all but maybe two of my stories were going to be on the chopping block so I went back and fully re-read all the rules and guidelines again. What I learned was that the people in charge of this site basically created a major Grey Area for authors. You see, the rules and limited submission guidelines haven't been updated since _**2008**_ (and make no prohibitions against either lemons or violence) but do have a nice warning in red just before the definition of Story Ratings about the site not allowing explicit content within the stories published on .

Now here is the issue: What constitutes explicit content? We don't live inside of a 1950's sitcom where mom and dad share a room but separate bed and sleep in body covering pajamas. We live in the real world of the 21st Century. Every year, Hollywood pushes the boundaries between R and NC-17 ratings and what is acceptable within the lower rating; just as the Television Industry pushes the limits if their FCC Regulations for content. This brings us back to that red warning and the soon to be deleted stories because I don't think the administrators have thought their decision through logically.

How many authors are going to get pissed off and stop posting to this site? How many thousands of good stories are going to be lost? Or, better yet, how many fandoms are going to be completely wiped out? Think about that for a second – Supernatural fanfics… gone; True Blood and Sookie Stackhouse/SVM fics… bye-bye; Lost Girl… poof; Rachel Morgan/The Hollows Series… gone without a trace and those are just the tip of the iceberg. Then there are the fics based on Harry Potter, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle and The Hunger Games that are going to take major hits. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that they – and most fandoms – will be decimated to the point of it pointless to read whatever survives the purge (but I hope I'm wrong).

To me, it would be easier for those in charge to update the rules and guidelines then get rid of the red warning entirely or offer a separate site where such stories might be published instead of the idiotic task they've decided to undertake. Therefore, I have decided to not update any of my stories until such time as I can find a new home for them. If you know of such a place let me know and I get right on the transfer. In the meantime, I might take up the challenge of re-writing and re-imagining Sun and Moon for this site using only implied lemons and non-graphic violence.

Thank you,

J. (Kolchaksghost)


	16. Chapter 16

**New Home**

I find it ironic that right after I posted my Open Letter that I was able to find a new home. I've decided to join OrangeSmurfette and others over at The Writer's Coffee Shop; same penname but more freedom of expression. I'll start transferring my stories there very soon but don't know how long it's going to take to get everything moved. Old, completed stories and one-shots are going to be the first to go but the problem is that I plan to do some minor editing as I go which is why it might take a while to update any of my current stuff.

To find me, just go to .com then click on their library link. Hope to see all of my faithful readers over there.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: I finally started uploading stories on my stories onto my The Writer's Coffee Shop account as well as on another site please check out my profile for information.**


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